Xiaolin Chronicles
by EpicKoopalings
Summary: This is the story of a group of young monks that were left to fend for themselves against evil, making many new friends and enemies along the way as well as crossing some old ones. My take on a rewrite of XC, one that hopefully captures the goals and potential of the original without all the flaws. Season 2 is currently in progress.
1. Prologue: Shoku Warriors

**Hey Xiaolin fans! You might remember me from my other story, "The Last Showdown of the Show", where I wrote out the final battle that the first series ended on. That story was to help build the hype for Chronicles...buuuuut after seeing it (and more importantly, the fans' reactions to it), I decided to creatively challenge myself by rewriting the whole thing! This is just the prologue before the main story starts, so enjoy!**

 **Xiaolin Showdown/Chronicles is owned by Christy Hui. Shen Gong Wu are Warner Bros., etc.**

* * *

The halls were silent as the teenager made his way through the temple. He had come a long way in this little "quest" of his, and was not about to give up now, even if the strain of the venture was catching up to him.

As the boy walked through the dark temple halls, he heard a monstrous growl. He turned to see an open door. Inside a monster made of metal armor was reducing the room to rubble, with a lot of elderly men feebly fighting back. The youth stopped, then shook his head and continued on.

He crossed through a large dome-shaped room. Despite the fact that he was indoors, the inside of the dome was a fully-animated jungle at nighttime. The boy looked up to see a red comet crossing through the sky. He then turned to see a distant village on fire. Upon recognizing the village, he panicked a little. Then he heard a soft twinkling. He turned to see several odd-looking objects floating in the air and glowing, which were making the twinkling noise. A bronze sword with a red tassel and a swirled design across the blade floated closer to him than the rest. The tassel moved on its own like a beckoning finger. The teenager looked back at the flaming town, then at the comet high above. He turned and thrust his palm toward the floating sword as if to say, "forget it". The boy walked the rest of the way through the room and exited back into the temple.

After wandering through a few more hallways, he stumbled into an indoor garden. The teen walked through while admiring all the foliage. He turned and sniffed a small pink flower, only to stop cold when he noticed the shrub it was attached to.

It was a potted hedge shaped like a young teenage girl. The girl's face was frozen in fear and sadness. The boy looked to see more human-shaped plants. There was one resembling a big muscular boy with a real cowboy hat on top of its head. Another one was shaped like an old man, and a small scrawny one that looked more like a lizard. There was even a dark green cactus with a face and goggles on its top. Finally, the last shrub was smaller than most of the others, and was shaped like a young boy with a large, spherical head. He was looking straight with his eyes closed, but when the one in flesh walked up to him, the shrub suddenly opened his eyes and looked up at him.

" _All your fault._ " The plant spoke.

" _All your fault. All your fault._ " The other human (and lizard)-shaped hedges droned simultaneously. The warrior shut his eyes and covered his ears. He tried to run away, but the garden seemed endless.

" _All your fault. All your fault."_

They wouldn't stop! Finally, they quieted down enough for a new voice to be heard over them. It was higher pitched and had a French accent to it, and unlike the others, who were saying the sentence despairingly, the new voice was saying it with joy. The voice got louder and louder, until it sounded close…very close.

The teenager opened his eyes to see another plant with a face in front of him. But this wasn't a hedge like before; this plant was more of a flower. It leaned into the boy's face while repeating the same three words over and over, its voice getting higher and happier with each repeat.

" _All your fault._ _All your fault!_ _ALL YOUR FAULT! Hahahaha!_ "

Finally, the boy had enough. The flower stopped talking and took a deep breath. It then blew a cloud of yellow pollen at the boy, but he leaped over it and the plant. The flower barely had time to turn around before the non-plant jumped at it and punched it in the face. The plant fell over and was still. It and all the other plants in the garden turned brown and wilted. Then they turned into white smoke, which filled the room and the boy's vision. When it cleared, the only thing in the room was plain soil. The youth smiled and walked out of the room.

After walking a little more, the warrior came to a large double door. He looked it over and thought to himself.

 _All right. This should be it. Gotta say, this was an experience. Coulda used a little more action, though_.

As if the temple had read the boy's mind, the hallway started shaking. The adventurer was forced back as the ground immediately in front of the door cracked and levitated. Rocks came together to form arms and legs until the youth was looking at a giant humanoid golem made completely out of stone. Glowing green eyes appeared and glared. A jagged mouth formed and the creature roared.

Whereas most men would have run away screaming, the teenage boy just smirked and assumed a well-trained fighting position. The monster charged forward and punched the ground where the youth was, but the ground was all it hit. It looked to its right to see the boy there smiling. He then clapped its hands together; when he did so, a sideways tornado appeared and hit the golem full-force. Being stone, the monster stood its ground rather easily, but the boy wasn't done yet. He jumped into the air, levitated, curled into a ball with his arms wrapped around himself, then uncurled and unleashed an even mightier wind blast. This one did the trick as it caused the creature's disproportioned head to fall off. The boy then leapt at the body and showered it with martial arts moves that could not be learned from watching movies. When the boy was done, nothing happened at first. Then the monster's body disintegrated into gravel, the head shortly following. The boy dusted himself off, waded through the mess, and reached for the door's handle when he heard his name being called.

" _Join me…_ "

The youth stopped and turned. He knew that voice all-too-well and desperately wished he didn't.

Light green energy was flying through the air and collecting into a mass in front of him. When all was done, he was looking at a woman made out of green light and green fire. The woman was actually very beautiful, though the boy knew that you shouldn't lower your guard on someone just because they look beautiful (at least, he knew it when it came to this particular woman anyway). The woman said his name again.

" _Join me…Help me rise again, and I will give you everything you've ever dreamed of._ "

While most boys his age would have pinched themselves at the prospect of a beautiful woman giving them anything they ask for, this boy's angry and determined look never wavered.

"No. Never again."

With that, the boy put the flats of his hands together and pushed out, producing a gust of wind that caused the fiery woman to dissipate. After he made sure she was gone, he opened the door and entered the room. Inside was all red. Red walls, red ceiling, red floor, red everything. But it wasn't the color that grabbed the warrior's attention. Across the back wall was a large intricate molding of a dragon. Contrary to popular belief, most dragons didn't have wings or even feet; they looked remarkably like serpents with arms. The dragon on the wall was in a spiral, showing its long, flexible body. The creature ended in the center of the wall, with its head pointing down and its jaw wide open. Suspended within its jaws was another smaller molding of an eight-pointed star. And at the core of the star was what the boy had come for.

There was a red staircase that led up to the center of the dragon picture. The boy slowly walked up until he was right in front of the star. In the center was a smooth glass orb wedged halfway into the stone. Within was a miniature tornado that spun in place indefinitely. The boy tried not to get mesmerized by the natural beauty as he grabbed hold of the orb. After a few seconds of tugging, he pulled the object free. The warrior got to stare into it for only a moment more before the orb became full of bright light, snuffing out the tornado.

The glowing sphere rose into the air as the boy averted his eyes. The orb shone even brighter before transforming. When the teenager could look again, there was a glowing sword floating down to him. The sword was the color of sand. The blade had two light blue diamonds on each side, one near the top, and one near the bottom. Around the top diamond were blue lines that reached around the blade, but ended above the bottom diamond. The sword was the color of dry sand for most of the blade and the divider between the blade and the handle (which was disc-shaped). On the other hand, the handle and bottom portion of the blade around the lower diamond were like wet sand. Finally, the weapon had a dark-blue segmented handle grip (decorated with white swirls that resembled question marks) and a dark-blue tassel on the end.

The sword lowered itself into the boy's hands and stopped glowing. The boy looked it over and raised an eyebrow. This sword looked a lot like the one that had tempted him a while back, one that he had become very familiar with for a time. Then, the diamonds and lines on the sword lit up dark-blue. The boy closed his eyes and heard an undistinguishable voice in his head.

 _Dragon of Wind,_

 _Congratulations, you have completed the next step of your journey, and you have certainly gone through a lot to get here. In the past, you have acted brashly, which has led to critical mistakes: you ignored your master's instructions and returned to your temple when you shouldn't have, putting your friends in danger. You also ignored his words regarding the Heylin comet, causing you to almost lose yourself and destroy all you cared for. However, your heart was always in the right place. You came back to your temple because you were concerned for your master's safety, and you risked the Heylin comet to save your home and family. Even when you temporarily fell to the persuasion of darkness, you realized what truly mattered to you and saved the day in the end, even turning down the initial reward because you knew you weren't ready for it yet. Every mistake you have made since then, you have learned from, and have only grown stronger every day. Now that you are leader, you must truly put such thoughtless actions behind you for the sake of your team, which will grow as well. Go forth, mighty Dragon, may your simple breezes become mighty storms that cannot be swayed._

 _Sword of Lucida_.

The quester opened his eyes and smiled. He raised the sword into the air with the blade pointing up. A strong wind swirled around him. The sword started glowing again and transformed. The blade became longer and pointier. The divider disc became long and flat with a small orb on each end. The handle and grip extended and narrowed toward the bottom, the swirls on the grip disappearing. The end and tassel were replaced by another orb (this one the color of the handle) with a smaller dark-blue center. The diamonds and lines continued to glow dark-blue as the wind circled around the warrior. The lad's quest was complete, and he had a few words to say before he headed back.

"Finally. I'm ready to truly embrace my destiny…as a Xiaolin Shoku Warrior."

* * *

ONE YEAR LATER…

It was a very busy day at the Xiaolin temple. The three monks duking it out were doing so with even more energy than usual, because hopefully, they would all be moving up in rank very soon. The first of the monks, the young, passionate, but arrogant Omi ran at a couple of training dummies and showered them with a combo before back flipping back onto the ground. The next monk, the clever and charming as well as the only female Kimiko Tohomiko jumped at them and with a single roundhouse kick, knocked their heads off. Finally, the strong yet gentle and polite Clay Bailey ran to the headless dummies and punched them both with one fist each. His mighty knuckles broke through the material like gelatin, leaving the false enemies with no heads and big holes in their chests.

The Dragons-in-training weren't finished yet, though. One by one, they all attached a metal covering to one shoulder. Kimiko walked up first. "Cat's Eye Draco, Fire!" When the female Dragon said "fire", she thrust her palms forward. A large fireball instantly formed and shot out from her hands, setting the two dummies on fire. Omi quickly jumped into the air and activated his weapon. "Kaijin Charm, Water!" Omi unleashed a wave of water that fell down and extinguished the flames, leaving the dummies significantly burnt, but intact. Finally, Clay stepped forward. "Longhorn Taurus, Earth!" He raised his foot and brought it to the pavement. His two teammates could feel the vibrations as the whole section of the temple rumbled. At last, a crevice formed in the ground under Clay's foot. It stretched across the training ground until reaching the dummies. By then, it had grown big enough for the dummies to fall down into the miniature chasm the Texan had created.

"I see we'll have to order more dummies."

The three turned to see Master Fung walk up to them. Their faithful dragon companion Dojo was on his left shoulder. Walking along his right was the last member of their team, the sometimes brash and overconfident but protective and caring Raimundo Pedrosa. Rai's attire was different from the other three. While his friends wore red robes and white pants (except for Omi, who wore black pants), the Dragon of Wind wore a black robe with red pants.

The three Dragons in training turned and bowed. "Young monks, you have all trained very expertly and passionately, and as you all know, you are finally ready to advance to the next level: becoming Shoku Warriors, alongside Raimundo." He gestured to the older boy.

"Indeed, Master Fung. I believe we are all ready." Omi said. " _Even though I have been ready far before the others_." He muttered under his breath. "I heard that." Fung said, causing Omi to blush and put on a big fake grin.

"As I explained to Raimundo last year, your journey will take you to the heart of a mystic and long-forgotten land. Once you three are there, you will split up and find your own paths. Be warned, you will face dangers, temptations, and ghosts from your past. But once you overcome all that, you will be rewarded with not only a new ranking, but your new Shoku weapons. Raimundo?" the master turned to him. Rai nodded and reached into his robes, withdrawing the Sword of Lucida. The sand-colored weapon sparkled in the sunlight.

"As I have already told you, you will not take any Shen Gong Wu with you, or your Wudai weapons. Let your own skills and your hearts see you through. It will be difficult, but I assure you, it will be worth it. Complete the tasks Raimundo has completed and you will all be ready to take the next step in your journey. Now, are you three ready?"

The three eagerly nodded.

"Very well. Dojo?"

"You got it, Baby Blue-Eyes!" Dojo saluted before slithering down to the ground. Fung and the monks stepped back as the dragon started growing in size until he was forty feet long. Omi, Kimiko, and Clay walked up to Fung, and one by one, they gave him their Wudai weapons and Elemental Charms, followed by a brief bow. Then, they all climbed onto Dojo's back. "Hop on for a journey of wonder, enchantment, and Shoku Warrior-ness!" Dojo elatedly said as he took off through the air.

Raimundo watched his friends leave, and then looked down at his sword and sighed. Fung then placed a hand on is shoulder. "Do not worry, Raimundo. Even when the others are of equal _rank_ as you, they will not be equal _to_ you. You have earned the position of leader, and that will not change any time soon." Rai smiled and bowed as well. "Thanks, Master Fung."

Dojo flew through the air over China. "So, where exactly is this place, Dojo?" Kimiko asked.

"It's in a magical forest that only reveals its true nature when a Xiaolin Wudai Warrior is ready to become a Shoku Warrior." Dojo explained. "Of course, since I'm not a monk like you guys, I can only take you so far." After a few minutes of flying, Dojo landed on the ground and shrunk back down to normal size. They were in a large forest surrounded by trees. They were on a dirt path; however in front of them the path split in three directions. "Alright, here we are! You kids are on your own, now! I'll be back in a while to pick you up. Later!" Before the monks could say anything else, Dojo grew again and flew off, leaving the three by themselves.

Kimiko took a deep breath. "Well, guys, this is it. We each take our own path from here."

"Well, yeah, but which path does each one of us take?" Clay questioned.

Kimiko looked at the three-way fork and pondered the same thing. Suddenly, she felt something. A kind of…energy. She could sense it leading down the middle path. The girl walked up to it. "This one. This is where I'm supposed to go."

"How can ya tell-" Clay cut himself off as he felt a mystical energy as well, telling him to go down the path that led to the right. "Yeah, I can feel it too."

"…I feel nothing." Omi said. His friends didn't seem to hear him, and started walking down their respective paths. "Wait! As most amazing monk here, I think I should decide…hello?" Omi's objections fell on deaf ears as Kimiko and Clay continued walking. Omi sighed and started walking down the left path, the one he had been left with.

Kimiko followed the energy for what seemed like hours as she kept going deeper into the forest. Soon enough anything resembling a trail had disappeared, and the female warrior was just left wandering in the woods. Suddenly, she couldn't feel the energy anymore.

"What? Oh, come on! I can't be stuck here!" Try as she might, though, Kimiko could no longer feel anything. Just as she was about to try and retrace her steps, she heard a rustling in the leaves around her. "Huh? Who's there?" Kimiko asked. No response. She assumed a fighting stance. "I'm warning you, I'm a trained Xiaolin Warrior!"

"I know, Kimiko…I know."

The girl stopped. "That voice…"

Without warning, a dark blur leapt out of the shadows. Kimiko barely jumped to the side before her assailant made herself clear.

It was Wuya.

"Long time no see, girly." The ancient woman said, flexing her claw-like fingernails.

"Wh-what are _you_ doing here?" Kimiko demanded.

"Aw, can't an old enemy drop by to see how her favorite gal-pal's doing?" Wuya asked in a faux-sincere tone. Kimiko growled and rushed at her.

Clay was lost as well. He had followed his senses for hours only to have them just abandon him.

"Well, this is just dandy. Where do I go now? Maybe I can check the trees for moss to see which way is north…" Clay's survival thoughts were interrupted by a rustling. He slowly walked over to check it out.

"It's alright, little critter. I won't hurtcha…" But what stepped out into the daylight was far from a little critter. The best was to describe it would be a giant, monstrous, yet somewhat humanoid scorpion. Its body was the color of sand, its shell was the color of bricks, and was without a doubt angry. Something in Clay's brain registered this creature as being familiar, but he disregarded it and prepared to fight. The monster said nothing and just roared.

Omi was even more lost than his teammates, as he never felt the energy that Kimiko and Clay felt. He kept going in circles through his cheek of the woods (as he would say). "Oh, this is most frustrating! I have been wandering for hours, and am no closer to becoming a Shoku Warrior!"

"Sad story, isn't it? I can relate."

The owner of the voice walked out of the darkness. It was none other than the one and only-

"Chase Young?!" Omi half-asked, half-shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Shall we?" Chase assumed a fighting stance.

Omi quickly collected himself and mirrored his rival's pose. "Let's shall!"

Kimiko jumped over Wuya and landed on her hands, kicking Wuya as she turned around. Then Kimiko quickly spun around while on her hands to kick Wuya even more. The witch blocked with her legs and swung downward at Kimiko, causing her to jump out of the way back onto two feet. Wuya came at Kimiko with her claws, but the girl jumped and used Wuya's arm to boost herself into a flip over the witch, quickly coming back with a spin attack. Kimiko suddenly kicked out and then again, causing Wuya to flinch back. The ex-ghost snarled and came at Kimiko with her claws again.

 _Ka-punch!_

The giant scorpion monster beat Clay with its claw. Due to the cowboy's muscles, he blocked and was relatively fine. The scorpion swung at Clay again, only for him to retaliate with a punch of his own. The beast swung down with both claws, but Clay dodged and jumped on top of one of the claws, then jumped up again at the monster's face, delivering a mean left hook. Clay landed on two feet as his enemy staggered back.

" _Hiyah!_ "

Omi rushed at Chase and swung his right fist, only for him to quickly move his head, causing Omi to miss by inches. Chase tried to punch him, but Omi leapt and placed his hands on Chase's arm for a sweeping kick to the face. Chase saw this coming, however, and blocked with his other arm. The two rivals quickly moved in a circle motion and landed across from the other. The two then went at it again. Omi punched, but Chase blocked with a kick. Chase swung his arm, but Omi sidestepped. Omi jump-kicked, only for Chase to block with his elbow. The two warriors were at a stalemate, but even when Omi missed again, he refused to give in. Omi leapt at Chase and punched, but Chase met Omi's fist with his own, neither making any headway and both being slightly knocked back.

"You are a most worthy adversary, Chase Young."

"As are you. But you have yet to see my full power."

"I was about to say the same." The nine dots on Omi's forehead started glowing and he smiled.

Kimiko flipped away from Wuya again. "Hey Wuya, how's about we turn things up a notch? Fire!" The female dragon shot a stream of flame from her hands. Wuya turned her head and raised a hand to protect herself. When the fire stopped, she turned back to Kimiko and smiled. "You wanna play that way?" The with raised her left hand and a green fireball appeared in it. "Fine by me." Kimiko's eyes widened as Wuya threw the fireball at her. Kimiko jumped out of the way as the projectile reduced a tree behind her to a charred stump.

Kimiko got a hold of herself and started throwing fireball after fireball at Wuya, the witch doing the same. Soon, it was just a constant stream of orange and green with plenty of explosions in the background. Kimiko leapt to the side before jumping above Wuya. "Judolette Flip, Fire!" Kimiko shouted as she flipped down at Wuya with her foot on fire. Her flaming foot came down on Wuya, knocking her back several feet. The witch snarled again before both her hands lit up green and she shot two green fire streams at Kimiko.

The giant scorpion monster shook its head to clear itself of the punch to its face. It turned back toward Clay and sneered, its long reptile-like tongue flicking about. "Hoo-wee! Yer one tough bronco, partner. But let's see ya handle this! Seismic Kick, Earth!" Clay stomped the ground, making it rumble. Suddenly, from below the colossus rose big stalagmites, squeezing the creature between them. The monster roared and smashed through them. Then to Clay's surprise, it spoke. "Impressive." It had a deep, evil, but still somewhat familiar voice. "But not impressive enough!" The scorpion produced a large wooden spear in its right claw. The spear was long, the handle was as black as if the wood was burnt, and the blade was jagged and looked _very_ sharp. The monster twirled the spear in its claw and attempted to stab the cowboy, him dodging just in time.

Chase barely avoided getting wet by a stream of water that shot out from Omi's hands. The boy continued to shoot blasts of H2O as the fallen warrior avoided every one. Soon, the two stood facing the other, neither one making a move. "Alright." Chase said, closing his eyes. "Playtime's over!" His voice changed to be deeper and more evil, and when he opened his eyes, they were bloodshot. Skin and armor became scales until in Chase's place was a humanoid crocodile-like creature. Chase bared his teeth and leapt at Omi, swiping and clawing like mad. Omi dodged all of this and continued firing large balls of water at him.

Kimiko dodged Wuya's fire best she could while throwing back some of her own, but she couldn't seem to be able to keep up. Almost all of the trees surrounding them had been either burnt or blown up by the onslaught. Finally, Kimiko took shelter behind a tree that was mostly intact. She heard Wuya's wicked laughter.

"Did you really think you could stand a chance, Kimiko? I have centuries of combat and magic experience, and you're just a _little girl_."

Just a…girl? Kimiko's eyes narrowed as she was suddenly filled with determination. Kimiko leapt above the tree she was behind, formed a giant fireball in her hands, and threw it at Wuya. The fireball hit the ground right in front of her, knocking her back. Wuya got up, but could see nothing but smoke from the blast, that is until Kimiko came flying out of it and started attacking her as if she had the Shard of Lightning. Every punch and kick was almost faster than the eye could follow. Kimiko finished her fierce combo with a spinning kick that more or less left Wuya on the ground. The witch looked up to see Kimiko seething. "How's this for a _little girl_? Wudai Mars, FIRE!" Kimiko clenched her fists and suddenly, she lit herself on fire. This didn't seem to hurt her in the slightest (just the opposite in fact). Kimiko grabbed Wuya's hand and flipped her into the ground behind her. Then again, and then again. Finally, Kimiko spun Wuya around and threw her into the last tree that was completely unharmed. That soon changed though, for when the Heylin witch smashed into it, the three splintered like a pencil. As for Wuya, upon contact with the tree, she suddenly turned into red mist which immediately dissipated.

Kimiko took a minute to compose herself, then looked up to see Wuya was gone. "Huh? Hey, where'd she go?" Suddenly, a section of bark at the base of the tree Wuya had been thrown into started burning. Kimiko stared at this for a second, and then started walking towards it. When she got close, the fire suddenly went out; what was strangest was there was no sign the fire had even been on the tree, not even a scorch mark. Just then, another tree further back caught on fire on one spot too, and when Kimiko walked over to that tree, the fire disappeared with no trace again. Kimiko turned to see the same thing on yet another tree. "Was this part of the test…?" She asked herself as she continued following the flame.

The demon scorpion continued stabbing its spear into the ground trying to turn Clay into a shish-kebab. The Texan was strong, but he wasn't slow. After a while, Clay managed to knock the giant stick out of his enemy's hand, it landing blade-down in the dirt. The foe quickly reacted and rammed Clay with its other claw, knocking the monk onto his back. The monster pinned him to the ground with its claw. "Haha! You have failed to stop me, boy. I will destroy you, then the rest of your pathetic monk friends, and then heck, I just might seek out your family too."

Clay stopped struggling during that last line. Suddenly, he felt anger rising up in him. Without a word, Clay gripped the claw holding him down and lifted it off of him. He quickly got back up. "No one touches my friends and family!" He yelled before charging at the beast. The claws swung and snapped in vain as Clay ran up to its exposed body and punched it. The punch was so powerful that the giant was actually forced back a little. Clay continued punching the beast until it brought its claws down at him. Clay jumped back and clenched his fists. Clay then raised his hands with his palms out. "Wudai Crater, Earth!" In less than a second, a giant stone wall rose out of the ground and struck the monster on the underside of its chin. As it staggered back, Clay ran at it, jumped all the way to the top of the wall, and then soared at the scorpion as fast as a missile…and with twice the punching power.

 _KA-POW!_

The monster had finally had enough as Clay landed on the ground. The monster turned so it was facing Clay and dropped to its knees. Clay smiled at his victory when he noticed the spear in the ground starting to shrink. As it got smaller, the color got lighter until the spear was light brown with a dark brown stripe. Clay's eyes widened. He recognized that spear…

He turned back to the monster to see that it was shrinking too. Its claws and legs went back into its body and transformed into human limbs. Its shell wrapped around its front and became a sort of toga. Finally, the demonic head shifted and rearranged until Clay was looking at a very familiar face.

"Master Monk Guan?! What in tarnation-"

The 1500-year-old warrior looked up at Clay. The face was just as he remembered except for his right eye. It was wide open, yellow, and had a strange tattoo around it. Monk Guan smiled at Clay and winked with his evil eye before he and his discarded Spear of Guan transformed into brown mist and disappeared. Clay didn't have much time to wonder what in Sam Hill just happened before he felt a slight rumbling in the ground. A small crack appeared where Guan last was, and stretched off into the forest to Clay's left. Clay looked back at where the crack started, than where it went off to again. The cowboy just shook his head before following the crack.

Chase and Omi continued duking it out, punch followed by claws followed by kick followed by tail swipe. Omi leapt at Chase. "Monkey Strike!"

"Repulse the Monkey!" Omi was knocked back. Chase then grabbed Omi and held him against a tree by his throat. "Your efforts are in vain, Omi. You cannot stop me, and soon enough you will not _want_ to stop me. We shall bring about darkness… _together_."

Omi grunted and closed his eyes. The center and compass point dots on his forehead lit up, then the compass points dimmed and the corner dots lit up instead. This went back and forth a few times until finally all nine dots started glowing. "Not on your life. WUDAI NEPTUNE, WATER!" Omi cried out, causing a torrent of water to explode from his body and throw Chase into a tree on the opposite side of their makeshift arena. Dots still shining like miniature suns, Omi rushed at Chase, kicked him into the air, then leapt above him and with a final kick, sent him crashing back into the ground.

Omi landed as the reptile slowly got up. "You can't fight it, Omi…it's your destiny…your future."

Omi furrowed his brow. "The future can be changed; you said it yourself. Tsunami Strike!" Omi leapt and delivered one last attack, and as Chase recoiled, he disintegrated into blue mist and was gone.

Omi suddenly heard the sound of running water. He turned to see a small river that hadn't been there before. His dots altered again before he started walking, following the flow of the creek.

Kimiko followed the flaming trees until she reached a big clearing, most of which was taken up by a red decent-sized temple. The flame on the last tree winked out as Kimiko walked past it and up to the steps that led into the building. "Well…this is it." The girl said to herself. She walked up the steps and entered the temple.

Kimiko made her way through the red halls of the place she had discovered. "Boy, sure is quiet in here…" Kimiko soon heard a rustling noise above her. She looked up to see three spikes rush down to her. Kimiko quickly jumped and somersaulted forward as the spikes hit the ground. She turned to look at them. The spikes were light brown and seemed to have stretched down to the ground like elastic. As they rose back up to the ceiling, Kimiko turned around to see similar brown spikes stretching down not just from the ceiling, but from the floor and walls too. Kimiko smirked and crouched. She then ran forward, jumping, ducking and dodging every stretchy brown spike that came her way. Kimiko was on fire (no pun intended) as she made her way through the hall.

 _This isn't so bad. I totally got this. No problem!_

Kimiko's self-reassuring thoughts were stopped when she failed to notice a small set of spikes right below her. Before she knew what happened, the small spikes had actually come out of the ground and wrapped her up like rope. Kimiko was left on the ground as she struggled to get out.

Kimiko then heard laughing. She couldn't see anyone, but she heard their laughing and mocking.

" _Look at Kimiko, all helpless and stuff_."

" _She shoulda just stuck to playing her games_."

" _Such is to be expected of a girl_."

The mysterious voices just made Kimiko angrier, but it seemed that every time she tried to break free of her bonds, they would constrict her even more.

 _What IS this stuff? It's tight, but it feels soft…almost like hair._

 _Wait…hair?_

Kimiko suddenly stopped moving. She took some deep breaths and tried to push the jeering voices out of her head. Soon, despite the voices being at the same volume, it was like she couldn't even hear them. Then she calmly concentrated on the bonds. She imagined them loosening and to her surprise, the bindings came off of her and disappeared.

Kimiko got up and dusted herself off. Not only had the voices stopped, when she turned back, there was no sign of the spikes, any of them.

"Weird…" The female warrior thought to herself as she got to the end of the hallway and exited through the waiting door.

Clay came out of the forest and looked to the red temple, which the crack in the ground ended just in front of. "Well I'll be hogtied at the annual family rodeo!" After getting his country-ism out of the way, Clay walked up into the temple. He made his way through the corridors with no excitement until he came into a large room with a massive obstacle course…that ignored all common sense of safety. Spiked pegs to jump on, flames shooting out of the ground, swinging pendulums…it had it all. Clay then heard voices in the air around him.

" _Come on, cowboy, go ahead."_

" _Yeah, we all did it. Now it's your turn."_

" _You wanna win, dontcha? Then get yer keister in there!"_

Clay covered his ears as he tried to ignore the voices telling him to go through that death trap. "No way! There's bravery, then there's just plain stupidity! There's gotta be another way!" Clay looked around across the course trying to see some kind of shortcut as the voices continued.

" _Nice try, farm boy, but you ain't chickenin' outta this!"_

" _Want out? There's only one way!"_

" _Yeah! The RIGHT way!"_

"Wait…right way?" Clay looked to his right to see a door that hadn't been there before. He walked up to it and went through. He emerged at the other end of the room, at the end of the obstacle course from hell.

" _W-wait a minute! You can't do that!"_

" _Yeah, that's cheating!"_

" _You have to do what we did!"_

Clay smiled and tipped his hat. "Far as I reckon, partners, it don't matter what I did long as I did it. Sometimes the solution to yer problem's simpler than the problem itself." With that, Clay walked through another door and exited the room.

Omi was walking through his temple. The river he had followed had ended in a sort of moat around the temple, which Omi had immediately rushed into, wanting to earn the title of Shoku warrior before anyone else (other than Raimundo, of course). Though in his rush, Omi had neglected to pay attention to where he was going, and now he was starting to wonder if he was lost. "I hope I do get lost in here for the rest of my life. Then I will surely be the last to earn the title of Shoku warrior!" Omi's panic lasted until he came to a large empty room. A rectangular platform was in the center, almost like a stage. Deciding to investigate, Omi jumped on top. Suddenly, the room became darkened and a big spotlight shone on Omi.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen! Give it up for Omi, the mighty (and only) Xiaolin Warrior!"_

Applause was heard as confetti dropped from out of nowhere and a curtain with Omi's face on it fell down behind the stage. Even though Omi could not see his "fans", he immediately started bowing. "Thank you! Thank you! I do not deserve this…oh wait, yes I do!" Omi laughed. "It feels good to have my fifty minutes of fame!"

" _Actually, Omi, that's 'fifteen minutes of fame'._ " Omi looked up surprised. " _What_? Only fifteen?!"

" _Yes, and they just ended!_ " Omi heard large stomping. He turned and looked to see giant stone statues of Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay. They moved and smiled just like the real thing. The giant version of Rai then kicked Omi out of the spotlight, which then widened to encompass the three statues.

" _Let's give a round of applause to Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay, the NEW Xiaolin Warriors!"_

"W-wait!" Omi cried, getting up. "This is not my fifty minutes of fame! It was not even fifteen minutes!"

" _Aw, what's wrong Omi?_ " The giant stone Kimiko looked down at him. " _Don't you wanna share the spotlight?_ "

" _Yeah, pard._ " The Clay colossus added. " _We're a team now._ "

" _No more solo acts for you._ " Rai finished. " _Our skills are evenly matched._ "

Omi growled. "No they are not! I have been training since I was in training diapers! I'll show you! Tsunami Strike, WATER!" Omi shot out a stream of water from his hands. The animated statue of Rai stepped in the puddle, causing him to slip and fall, shattering into pieces.

"Wait, what the-" Clay stammered.

"That's not how this is supposed to go!" Kimiko added, just as dumbstruck.

"I am more skilled than all of you! WATER!" Omi leapt at Kimiko and ran along her arm. He leapt at her neck and delivered a rapid combo. With one final chop, the stone girl's head was separated from her body. They both fell to the ground.

"I think yer missin' the point here, pard. No one likes a poor sport!" Clay tried to step on Omi, but the small monk zipped out of the way. "What do you mean poor; I do not live on the streets! But you will become _part_ of the streets, you stealer of the spotted light!" Omi shot out another burst of water at Clay's feet, causing him to slip as well. He landed hard on his back and cracks appeared all over his stone body.

"That's…spotlight…" The golem groaned before crumbling into rubble alongside the others. A door at the end of the room opened.

" _Um…let's give it up for…Omi."_ A handful of claps could be heard as Omi proudly walked through the door.

Kimiko made her way through the temple some more. "Ugh, how long have I been walking? Can the temple even _be_ this big?" She asked herself. Her questions about the temple's size only multiplied when she entered the next room. She was standing in front of a huge waterfall that landed in a river filled with grey rocks that could be used as platforms. Kimiko walked on the rocky shore and was awestruck by the gorgeous sight until she spotted something that wasn't part of the nature. "Clay? Is that you?" Kimiko walked up to her friend, but he didn't register that he heard her, or do anything at all. "…Clay? You alright?" Clay slowly turned so he was facing her. His eyes were closed and his mouth was expressionless. Then, he opened his eyes. They were pure black. His mouth twisted into an evil grin and he laughed diabolically. "Long time, no see, Kimiko." Clay said with a second, evil-sounding voice accompanying his own.

Kimiko took a step back. "No…not _you_."

'Clay' laughed again. "Yes, it's me. I'm back in this new strong body, and it's all _your_ _fault_!" 'Clay' continued laughing as Kimiko took a step back. Her mind was suddenly filled with self-pitying thoughts.

 _He's right. It_ is _my fault. If I had just come clean about the Mosaic Scale breaking..._

"Now I'm gonna take over the whole stinkin' world, and there ain't nothin' you can do about it. Haha!"

Kimiko seemed to snap herself out of her self-pity. "No, you're not. Sure, I made a mistake, but I'll fix it if it's the last thing I do. I _can_ do something about it." Kimiko leapt at 'Clay' and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back. He got back up and growled. "We'll see about that!" He ran up and tried to punch Kimiko, but she flipped out of the way. She landed on one of the rocks in the river and turned to see the evil cowboy leap impossibly high into the air and come back down with his fists together. Kimiko leapt onto another rock just before the first one was smashed to pieces by 'Clay's' super-strong fist. He jumped to smash the new rock Kimiko was standing on just as she leapt to yet another one. This went on for a while until finally, 'Clay' seemed to be slowing down. He fell on one knee, panting. Kimiko walked up to him, smirking. "See? I _told_ you I could fix my own mistakes."

"Lucky…girl." The imposter got out before collapsing on the ground and dissolving into red mist. A door appeared next to Kimiko and she opened it. "Not lucky…just smart."

Meanwhile, the real Clay walked through a few more halls until he came to a large square room. It seemed to be empty, so he just started walking through it. When he was about a third of the way across, he heard an alluring female voice.

" _Clay…Wanna square dance with us, big boy?_ " Clay looked to see brown mist filling the room. The mist rose into several tall shapes all throughout the area. They then solidified into…women. _Hot_ women…wearing overalls and cowgirl hats. The room was soon full of Southern supermodels. One of them with long flowing black hair walked up to Clay. "Hey there, baby, you lost?" Clay felt his cheeks go red. "No…well, yes…kinda. I-I don't suppose none o' ya'll know where I can get my Shoku weapon, d-do ya?"

"Oh, of course," the woman said, running a manicured finger down his cheek. "You just have to survive."

"Survive what?" Clay suddenly felt the rub become a scratch as the fingernail became a lot sharper, like a claw.

" _Us._ " The women's eyes became red with slits for pupils and their teeth all became sharp. They then produced swords, axes, flails, and many other nasty weapons in their hands. Clay backed up into the wall as he was surrounded by killer women. "Whatcha gonna do, cowboy? Punch us?" the one with the black hair taunted as she swung her sword around.

"N-no! I can't plow through a buncha girls, it just ain't right!"

"Oh, toughen up, will ya? And fight like a man!" The women scoffed as they came closer.

"No, I can't fight ya'll!" Clay then opened his eyes and smiled. "But I can shake ya'll up!"

"Wait, what?" The women asked.

"Seismic Kick, Earth!" Clay stomped the ground and shockwaves went all across the room, disorienting the women and making many of them fall on their knees. Clay then crouched and sprinted, jumping and flipping over and in-between the killer females as they tried to get back on their feet. Soon, Clay was in front of the door at the end of the room. He smiled and tipped his hat again. "So long, ladies. It's been fun _not_ fighting with ya'll." Clay then walked through the door.

The head lady smiled. "I have to admit, he _is_ quite the gentleman."

The other girls agreed as they all disappeared into brown mist.

Omi walked confidently through the halls. "I passed the first test with shooting colors! I'm sure I will pass the next one with just as much-" The boy's self-congratulatory thoughts were interrupted when he walked through a door with his eyes shut and quickly plummeted down. He fell for a couple seconds before landing on something bouncy. Omi looked back up to see the doorway in the grey wall high above. He then looked around him to see what he had landed on.

A giant spider web.

Omi looked down through the holes in the web to see a bottomless pit below. He then heard chittering noises. He looked to see dozens of huge brown spiders crawling out of round holes in the walls. In seconds, they had surrounded him.

"Well, well, look who it is, fellas." One of them said in a rough, smart-alec voice. "It's the Cheeseball Exterminator!" The spiders laughed. Omi managed to get his footing on the web and struck a pose. "I defeated you once, wretched spiders, I will do it again!"

"How?" The first spider continued. "I don't see your lizard partner anywhere. Probably 'cause you broke his trust!"

"W-what?" Omi faltered.

"Yeah!" Another spider spoke up. "You promised you wouldn't use that fountain thing for anything else, but didja? Nooooo!"

"Some noble warrior, amirite?" A third spider asked as others around him murmured in agreement.

Omi slowly lowered his hand. "But…I honored my promise by not taking advantage of the information I wasn't supposed to learn! I AM noble!"

"So? Ya still peeked! Now you're all alone!" The first spider said again as he and the others advanced on the boy. "Face it, kid. You _need_ someone who trusts you in order to deal with us!" The spiders cackled.

Omi's hesitant and guilty look instantly changed to one of anger and determination. "That is where you are wrong!"

"Huh?"

"I do not need anyone's help to defeat the likes of _you_! Wudai Neptune, Water!" Omi pointed his hands downward as water shot out of them, propelling himself up as the spiders next to him were drenched. Omi flipped and landed on another part of the web as the spiders recovered.

"Get that promise-breaker!" The head spider shouted as the spiders started swarming towards Omi. He shot more water at the spiders as he looked up. There! Among the holes the spiders had crawled out of, there was one with a door inside. Omi turned back and kicked a few spiders out of his way. He ran, leapt, and used the web like a trampoline to propel himself up to the hole with the door in it. He turned back to see that using the wet web like that had caused it to break, sending the spiders plummeting into the abyss below. Omi laughed triumphantly. "I can defeat evil on my own, no help is needed!" He exited through the door.

One strand from the web was left dangling on the wall; hanging from it were the three spiders who had spoken. The third that had done so, who was at the bottom, remarked, "You know, his skills really are worthy. More so, in fact."

The second spider, perched above him, added, "Yeah, but I thiiink he may have missed the point."

The lead spider, hanging on above both of them, sighed. "Again."

All three spiders' eyes widened as the strand of web they were clinging to snapped, sending the three of them into the pit like the rest.

Kimiko was starting to get weary. These tests seemed so _real_! What would the next one be like…what unfamiliar setting would she be transported to?

The next room she entered, to her shock, was super familiar. It was her father's company building. She saw conveyor belts and wooden crates everywhere. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out.

"Kimiko…" she heard a voice she instantly recognized as her father's. "Dad! Thank goodness you're-"

Kimko stopped when her dad walked up to her. His arms were held out and his eyes were glazed over. He had been transformed into a zombie…again.

"Must get Kimiko…" The man droned as he continued moving toward his daughter.

"D-Dad? Snap out of it! It's me, Kimiko! Your daughter!" Kimiko leapt out of the way as the brainwashed business owner swung at her. "Please Dad, I don't wanna hurt you."

"Must get Kimiko!" Mr. Tohomiko shouted as he suddenly started running towards her (unheard of for a zombie).

"No, no, come on!" she said as she dodged. "Dad, you have no idea what you're doing!"

Kimiko gasped. ' _Those…those were the last words I said to him when I visited him a few months ago._ ' Kimiko dodged her dad again while still thinking. ' _We had a big fight that day, and I regret every word of it Now my dad's a zombie._ ' Kimiko parried a few blows from her zombified father with one arm and without turning her head. ' _Maybe I'm not cut out for this like I thought I was…_ '

" _I DON'T MAKE MISTAKES!_ "

" _Just drop it, okay Omi?_ "

" _This is all my fault…_ "

Kimiko suddenly glared with determination. ' _No. That was just another mistake. I CAN make things right, and I will. I'll make up with my dad the next time I see him, but first, I have to deal with this FAKER!_ '

The female warrior suddenly grabbed her "dad's" hands and threw him over her onto his back. "I'm not afraid to fight you, Dad. And I'm not afraid to admit my mistakes. I'm sorry I got mad at you that day. I'll make it up to you…I promise." Kimiko said more to herself than to the zombie on the floor. The aforementioned man rolled over onto his stomach and smiled. "That's my girl." He said in his still-zombie-ish voice before turning into red smoke. Without warning, a trapdoor appeared below Kimiko and she fell down with a scream.

Clay strolled down the red hallways, weary but trying to remain at ease. This test would take as long as it needed to…he would only go home after he completed this task.

Or would he? Clay stepped from the hall to a desert as far as the eye could see. The sun was blazing high above, and the only obstructions to the sand were cacti and tumbleweeds. There was only one place this could be.

"Texas? What in tarnation?!" Clay asked himself. Before he got the chance to walk around, he felt rumbling in the earth far below him. It got louder and closer until a huge black column suddenly rose from the ground in front of Clay. The colossal black pillar continued to rise until it was half as tall and thick as a silo. It turned to Clay to reveal slitted eyes and a forked tongue. It was a huge black snake; a viper. Clay grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

The snake bared its fangs and lunged. Clay quickly sidestepped and punched the body as it slid past him. The animal quickly circled around and lunged at him again. Clay jumped out of the way, causing the snake to bite into itself. It recoiled in pain. Clay smiled and got ready to fight again. The snake turned toward him.

"Yes, Clay, fight me. It's been a long time comin'." Clay stopped upon hearing the snake talk. The voice seemed familiar for some reason…it was dark, but female and had an accent not unlike his own. Clay nearly fainted when he figured it out.

"J-J- _Jesse_?! Is that you?!" The viper smiled. "'Bout time you figured it out, big brother."

"But w-what happened? How did you do this?" Jesse let out a big hissy laugh. "How did _I_? _You_ did this to me, Clay."

"W-what?"

"This is what happens when you hogtie the spotlight yer whole dadgum life! 'Clay this', 'Clay that!' UGH! I had none o' the things you had…so now I have this."

"N-now Jesse, I thought we made up about this! You're my baby sister! Now you stop bein' a giant slippery snake this minute! We don't want Daddy knowin' 'bout this, now do we?"

Jesse smiled. "Oh, he already knows, Clay."

"Huh?"

"That's right, son. Ah'm right here."

Clay turned to see another huge black viper even bigger and thicker than Jesse. It spoke in a twisted version of the authoritative voice Clay knew and loved so much.

"Daddy? You too?"

"Yessiree. And I reckon I changed mah mind about you bein' a man! Why can't you be more like the rest of us?"

"Yeah, Clay, why you gotta be such a disappointment?"

Clay turned to see another snake (in-between the sizes of the other two). He immediately recognized the voice and backed away.

 _No…not Patty too._

"Tell us, big bro," Jesse started as the three snakes surrounded him. "How does it feel to have let down yer whole family?"

 _No…I let them down…every one of 'em…I'm the worst cowboy ever._

The giant vipers closed in on him.

 _Haven't I tried my darndest to avoid this, though? I've always tried to be a good son and brother. Was it just not enough?_

" _You never understood what it was like growin' up in the shadow of a perfect older siblin'!"_

" _Whatever Ah wanted, YOU got!"_

 _"The only thing you proved is what a mistake ah made lettin' you join this...Silly xi-ow pow Ring-a-ding quest in the first place."_

"Ungh…ergh…" Clay grunted as his three family members bared their fangs. " _NO!_ " The three monsters flinched back.

"I'm sorry I cast such a big shadow over ya'll. I was just tryin' to be the best I could be! Feelin' like ya'll were bein' overshadowed was the _last_ thing I wanted! And daddy…I told you before. I know I don't do things yer way, but you need to accept it and let me do my job _my_ way!" Clay fell to his knees. "I never wanted to disappoint any of ya'll. But I'll make it up to all of you...because that's what family does."

The three giant snakes exchanged glances before smiling. "That's what Shoku Warriors do too." Jesse said.

Clay hadn't expected this response. "Huh?"

"I'm proud o' ya, son. We all are." The scaly version of his dad replied before all three of them turned into brown smoke that blew away in the Texas wind. Clay suddenly felt himself sinking. He looked down and saw to his horror that he was in a sand trap! He barely had time to do as much as flail before being slurped down completely.

Omi was once again walking, and with more pride than ever. When he walked into the next room, he stopped. It was a coliseum of some sort, and it looked pretty ravaged. It was huge-even bigger than the "Roman Coliseum" Master Fung had told him about once. Omi noticed that it was night time, yet he could see the walls and floor of the arena perfectly. "What am I doing here…?"

"You're here to meet your end, boy."

Omi recognized that southern accent anywhere (no, not Clay's).

He looked up into the air to see his most recent, insanely wicked enemy-Hannibal Roy Bean. The normally tiny foe was now the size of Cyclops. He was consisted solely of green outlines and seemed to be flying on a cloud.

"Ready for round two, Cue Ball? 'Cause I am!" Hannibal shot green lightning out of his tendrils down at Omi. Omi dodged and looked up at the bean. He growled and felt energy coursing through him. He let his body absorb it until all he saw was a blinding white light. When it cleared, Omi looked to see that he was sitting on a cloud, made of white outlines, and was as big as Hannibal. Omi glowered. "Let's do this, Hannibal Bean."

"Ladies first."

Omi growled again. "Wudai Neptune, water!" Omi shot a torrent of water at Hannibal, who dodged. Hannibal shot more green lightning at him, with as much luck. Omi then used his power to summon a monsoon that rained on Hannibal. However, the bean wasn't affected by this annoyance. "Come on, Cheese Brain, is that the best you got? Gimme some fire or wind! You've got the power. Go on, show me you're the best!"

Omi felt inside himself and found that Hannibal was right. Omi could once again control all four elements, not just his own. He looked down at his hand and a small (to him) fireball appeared in it. Omi smiled and was about to use a Wudai Mars attack when he suddenly had a few flashbacks.

" _Omi, that was most unwise._ "

" _Man, you got an ego bigger than that dome o' yours._ "

" _Stop trying to use ALL the elements! Focus on the ONE you do best!_ "

Omi could see what Hannibal was trying to do. He was trying to get Omi to overload himself again. Well, not this time.

"I do not control fire." Omi threw the fireball away. "I do not control earth." Omi produced a large boulder in his hand and threw that away too. "I do not control wind." Omi pushed his hands forward, causing a mighty breeze to blow. "I am the Xiaolin Dragon of Water, and that is all I need to be. WUDAI NEPTUNE, WATER!" An even stronger blast of water hit Hannibal head-on. While the bean sputtered, Omi turned his cloud into a cyclone of swirling water. He turned it towards Hannibal and shot out of it like a cannon, knocking Hannibal off of his cloud. The two fell to the ground of the coliseum, causing a HUGE flash of light.

Omi stood up. He was back to normal, as was Hannibal, who just lay there on the coliseum floor. Omi proudly stood over him. "I do not need to master all the elements, Hannibal Bean. With only one, I am already more amazing and spectacular than anyone can imagine!"

Hannibal groaned. "Close enough…" he said before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke. A trapdoor opened below Omi and he fell down with little more than a yelp.

A hatch opened in the ceiling and Kimiko dropped down. She managed to expertly land on her feet. She looked to see she was in a wide hallway with stone dragon heads appearing from the walls. Kimiko made a gagging motion at the design and looked to the end of the hall. There was a large set of double doors, much bigger than the doors she had previously walked through. Kimiko smiled; finally this quest would be over. She ran down to the doors and pulled. They didn't move. She pushed. Nothing. Kimiko put her hands on her hips.

 _Okay, what is going on? I finally reach the end and this thing won't even_ open _?_

Kimiko was so focused on the doors that she didn't even notice a black liquid pouring from the dragon heads on the walls. Kimiko turned and started walking away from the stubborn door when she heard a splash. She looked down to see that she had stepped in a murky black puddle. There was a large puddle in the center of the room now, and was growing every second.

 _What is_ \- as soon as the smell hit the girl's nose, she knew.

Oil. Kimiko immediately made a mental note to refrain from using her fire powers. The puddle of oil continued to grow until suddenly, it lifted up like Omi controlling a puddle of water. The black gold swished and formed a shape resembling a body. It was not human, though, as the head was too big and misaligned, the arms were _far_ too small and stubby, and what was unmistakably a tail was added. The oily figure rippled and shifted. Black liquid became green scales and facial features such as slitted eyes and razor-sharp teeth became defined. Kimiko gasped in recognition. She stared up into the merciless maw of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"So we meet again, girl." The beast said in a deep, yet British and feminine accent. "And just in time for supper!" The T-Rex ran toward Kimiko, but she flipped out of the way. "I'm not afraid of you! Take this!" Wudai Mars, Fire!" She formed a large fireball and threw it and the dinosaur. The T-Rex just smiled before opening her mouth and swallowing the fireball whole. "You really don't learn, do you?" she said before spitting the fireball back out at her. Kimiko dodged before running out of the dinosaur's stomping range.

 _Come on, girl, you got this. You're (almost) a Shoku Warrior! Now get your act together and make that thing extinct again!_

Kimiko turned around and ran back toward the enemy. "Wudai Mars, Fire!" Instead of a fireball, a stream of fire shot from her hands. The dinosaur opened her mouth again, but this time the fire didn't stop. Kimiko kept pouring it in. The T-Rex started to look a little worried as her body started expanding like a balloon. Soon, Kimiko stopped her attack. The dinosaur looked ridiculous as a big green ball until glowing yellow cracks started appearing all over the body. Both Kimiko and the dinosaur's eyes widened before they spoke.

"Oh, crumpets."

"WUDAI FIRE SHIELD!"

 _KA-BOOOOOOM!_

When the smoke cleared, Kimiko was holding her hands in front of her, which were producing a half-circle of fire around her; this was what had saved her from the explosion. The female monk dissipated the shield and coughed a little. She shot some more fire from her hands to dispel the remaining smoke as she made her way across the room to the double doors. She coughed again before entering.

The room inside was identical to the one Raimundo had entered in the last part of his quest. The only difference was the orb in the center of the star molding. When Kimiko climbed the steps to it, she took a second to gaze at the flames noiselessly burning inside it. She pulled the orb out. Not hot at all. The orb was filled with bright light and the flames were extinguished. It rose into the air and shined brightly. When Kimiko uncovered her eyes, she was looking at a different object altogether. It was a four-pointed star. At the center was a red jewel that resembled a smaller version of the star itself. Surrounding the jewel were grey metal handles that quickly widened. Each handle had a design of two curvy black lines that made a heart shape, the point facing away from the jewel. Finishing the star's design were gold spikes on top of the handles that pointed out like arrows. The object resembled a ninja star, much more than the Star Hanabi did, a fact that Kimiko instantly liked. After the star floated down into her hand, she closed her eyes as a voice echoed in her mind.

 _Dragon of Fire,_

 _Congratulations, you are now a Shoku Warrior. You have certainly changed since your arrival at the temple. You could barely focus on so much as your hair color, and now your skills and senses have been honed past most adults'. You have faced your own flaws along the way, the most prominent of which has been pride. Your stubbornness to prove yourself by mastering the Tangle Web Comb almost caused your enemy to seize the powerful Golden Tiger Claws. When the Mosaic Scale broke, you did not want to admit to the others that you had made a mistake, a decision that almost plunged the world into catastrophe. You often say things that hurt others just to stop yourself from getting hurt. While you have much improved, you must realize that you are not perfect, you will make mistakes, and ignoring common sense to prove yourself will only make things worse. One particular teammate of yours may come across as rude and sexist, but please forgive him. He is not mean-spirited, he is only ignorant. You do not need to be better than everyone else solely because of your gender, nor will you ever_ be _better. You are part of a team, and as such you must trust your friends to not only balance out your shortcomings, but to see past them. Go forth, mighty warrior, may your fiery unquenchable spirit be properly disciplined and controlled, and not become an unrelenting, self-destructive wildfire._

 _Kanabi Star._

When Kimiko opened her eyes, she noticed something glowing. She looked down to see that it was her sash. Before her eyes, it changed from the light blue of Wudai rank to the shimmering gold of Shoku rank. She held up her weapon, the Kanabi Star, and was surrounded by fire. Like before, it did not hurt her one bit. The Kanabi Star started glowing and changed. The vaguely-diamond shaped jewel in the center changed to a circle. The heart-designs on the metal changed to one whole side of the handle being black. Finally, the Star became a little bigger except for the points, which changed from four to eight, being evenly spaced from each other. Kimiko held up her knew Shoku weapon proudly as the flames licked all over her.

"Yes, I _do_ trust my friends…and I promise I'll do my best as a Shoku Warrior!"

Clay suddenly found himself free of sand. He got up to see a round room with a large set of double doors at the end. Strewn amongst the room were large pieces of garbage, such as discarded appliances and other pieces of scrap metal.

"Hoo-wee. For an ancient mystical temple, this place is kind of a dump." Clay murmured to himself as he made his way past all the junk. He got to the doors and pulled. Locked. Clay took off his hat and scratched his head. He was starting to think of just punching his way through the door when he heard a loud metallic thumping. He turned around to see the appliances moving of their own accord. They were all converging towards the center of the room. They seemed to leap off the ground and stick to each other. In seconds, they had formed a towering robot with a head vaguely shaped like a mushroom.

Jack Spicer's Junk Bot.

"What the…thought I'd seen the last of _you_!" The Dragon of Earth bared his fists as the machine clunked towards him. Clay pounded his fists into the floor, causing a tremor that echoed across the room. However, the robot stood its ground. Its red visor lit up and a laser shot out at Clay. He rolled out of the way as the laser kept firing. Clay leapt at Junk Bot and punched its leg, barely making a dent. Junk Bot held out its large metal hand. It detached from its body like a normal Jack Bot's does and pinned Clay down. It held the cowboy with its large sharp claws. Clay struggled.

 _Not again. Come on, Clay, you're a Xiaolin Warrior; this feller's just a hunk o' scrap! You got this!_

"You think you can best _me_? Think again!" Clay grunted. "Wudai…Crater…Earth!" Clay slammed his fists against the hand that held him, completely shattering it. Junk Bot looked away from Clay to look at its stump of an arm. Big mistake. Shouting the name of his signature attack again, Clay stomped the ground, causing a large earthquake and chunks of stone to rise from the ground. Junk Bot received numerous dents all over its body and was thrown off balance. Clay wrapped things up by hurling himself right at the robot's center.

 _Crash!_

Clay punched right through the robot, leaving a large hole in the chassis. Junk Bot stood still for a moment, and then fell backward. With one mighty _crash_ , the robot was a threat no longer. Clay stood up, walked past the motionless reject, and went back to the door. It opened. Clay smiled and went on through.

Clay walked into the same red room Raimundo and Kimiko had, with the dragon molding on the wall and the steps leading up to it. Said steps were crossed by Clay right up to the star molding inside the dragon's maw. An odd sight was inside the glass orb. At the bottom of the inner concave surface were a collection of light brown stalagmites that grew at angles so as to all fit in. Dust of the same color settled around them at the bottom. Clay pulled the orb out of the wall with ease, lightly disturbing the dust. The sphere then filled with light, causing the stalagmites and the dust to disappear. It lifted into the air and changed shape.

When Clay could look again, he was looking at a clenched metal gauntlet that would fit over his hand. The weapon was colored dull gold with lines across each finger. These were normally a dull metal gray color, but were currently glowing orange. At the bottom of the hand was a red band that separated it from a slanting ring-shaped opening where he could fit his arm into it. The ring was decorated with a thin line the same gray color as the lines on the fingers normally were directly below the red band that stretched down into squares in a pattern with the bronze. Inside the bronze areas below were gray swirls that looked like question marks (like on Raimundo's Sword of Lucida).

Clay slid his right hand into the gauntlet. It fit perfectly. Clay closed his eyes when he heard the voice in his head.

 _Dragon of Earth,_

 _Congratulations. You have completed the next part of your journey by becoming a Shoku Warrior. You definitely deserve it; you have proven time and time again that underneath your tough body lies a heart of gold. You are kind to creatures great and small and would never intentionally hurt the ones close to you. Alas, in this modern, complicated world, pleasing one can displease another. In your childhood you strived to be whom your parents wanted you to be. Deciding to not disappoint them inadvertently caused them to be disappointed in other members of your family, to which they hold a grudge against you when you only tried to do your best. You have since made up with your sister by showing her the kind soul you truly are, and that is not the only time doing so has caused you to succeed. Your gentle and sensible thinking is what caused you to win your first Xiaolin Showdown and many other challenges afterwards. Yet you have also proved you are no pushover by standing up to your father and showing him that you do not need to abide by his rules any longer. Both ways of thinking will be needed in the future, especially with making peace with another member of your family that still wrongly holds a grudge against you. Even when the situation seems to demand otherwise, always keep your morals about you and never give up. Go forth, mighty warrior, may your will stand like a rock and your fist fly with the ferocity of an earthquake._

 _Fist of the Iron Bear._

Clay smiled and raised his Fist into the air. Shockwaves of energy seemed to come from the ground around him as it transformed. The weapon became bigger and bulkier, the lines on the fingers disappeared, the band became bigger and turned green and the bronze-colored openings for the question marks shifted into bumps instead of rectangles. The material for the Fist looked softer as well; it now resembled a boxing glove, except as just stated it still had fingers. The portion of the glove above the band was covered in a yellow glow, the same glow that was on Clay's sash as it changed from blue to gold, illuminating his already bright face.

"Watch out, varmints…there's a new Shoku Warrior on the block."

Omi fell from the ceiling with a _thump_. He got up and looked around. Nothing much to see; just a plain simple hallway with a large set of double doors at the end. Omi looked around, saw there was nothing to fight, and smiled. He took a step forward when he heard a shout identical to his own. He looked up toward the source and saw another trapdoor on the ceiling at the other end of the room. That one opened and what looked like another Omi came falling out. That Omi got up and the real Omi gasped. The doppelganger looked just like him except for his robes which were black with a red sash, his eyes which glowed red, and his dots which were rotated into a diamond shape instead of a square shape.

This was the evil version of Omi. He growled. "I must destroy you, goody-three-feet me! Time to fight-fight-fight!" He ran at the real, good Omi. Omi jumped out of the way and blocked a punch. Evil Omi tried a jump attack, but Good Omi jumped and kicked him in mid-air. Evil Omi slid back, but quickly got back up. He ran back at Good Omi and showered him with attacks, only for Good Omi to shower right back. The two were at a complete standstill, perfectly blocking when the other attacked and vice versa. Good Omi jumped back. "Wudai Neptune, Water!" A stream of water shot at the clone, who just smiled. "Wudai Neptune, Ice!" He held out his hands, and as soon as Good Omi's water touched them, it froze solid and raced back toward Good Omi. The real monk stopped his attack and got out of the way before he could be frozen along with his water. The long stick of ice fell and clattered to the ground. The two Omis went at it again. Still neither one made any headway. The two stopped attacking each other at the same time and jumped back, both needing a breather.

"Haha…You cannot defeat me." Evil Omi gloated. "We are alike in every way; evenly matched; two carrots in a pod! You will never win!"

Good Omi panted some more before looking back up at his counterpart. "You are wrong, evil-yet-handsome me! I _will_ win!"

"And why is that?"

"Because good _always_ wins over evil! Wudai Neptune, Water!" A stream of water shot at Evil Omi again. The boy just smirked and held out his hands, ready to do the ice trick again, but the water didn't continue forward to his hands. It split into two streams that circled around him. Evil Omi looked around confused before the circle of water around him suddenly closed in, causing a big splash that shot him into the air. Good Omi quickly jumped onto a wall, then jumped off of it up to Evil Omi. The real Omi delivered a final kick to his enemy and sent him flying all across the room, only to be abruptly stopped by the door. Evil Omi stayed there for a few seconds before sliding down and falling onto his stomach. Omi walked up to him triumphantly. "I do not want to say I told you so…oh wait, yes I do. I told you so!" Omi said, more cheekily than ever.

Evil Omi tilted his head up and gave an evil smile. "You have power, yes, but power is what leads to corruption. Perhaps we are not as different as you think." The doppelganger gave a final evil cackle before he turned transparent and melted, leaving nothing to show he had ever existed except a decent-sized puddle of water. Omi seemed to think about his clone's final words before shaking his head. "Pah! I do not have to listen to evil me! Even if he was deceptively good-looking!" Omi splish-splashed through the puddle that used to be himself and entered the last room.

You know what the room looks like by now. Omi walked up the steps and gazed at the orb at the center of the wall. Omi gawked when he saw that there appeared to be nothing in it. He was about to complain to whatever mystical entities had created this place that he had been "torn off" when he took a closer look. The inside of the orb looked odd around the edges, and Omi's reflection was off too. It was then the boy realized that the orb wasn't empty after all; inside was a floating, clear, absolutely still sphere of water. Omi grabbed hold of his prize. He seemed to have more difficulty than the others, but finally it popped out. The sphere glowed and rose up. Omi was so mesmerized by it that he didn't even look away when it shone brighter than normal. Omi, after having miraculously not been blinded, held out his hands as is new weapon floated down to him. Size-and-shape-wise, the orb hadn't changed at all; it was still that: an orb. The color, though, was very different. The orb was now a light blue color, like the Orb of Tornami. What made it different, though, were the additional designs on it. Across the sphere were darker blue wave patterns. Omi tossed it up and down. It felt good, the weight was alright, most suitable for the greatest Xiaolin Warrior of all time! Omi then heard the voice in his head, but he was too preoccupied with his weapon to close his eyes.

 _Dragon of Water,_

…

 _You are a mighty warrior. There is no doubt about that. Ever since your infant days, you have been prepared for greatness. Your levels of skill and discipline are unrivaled, even amongst your teammates. However, your problem is that you allow all of this to go to your head. You constantly let your own achievements overshadow those of your friends. You did not even_ want _them to become Xiaolin Dragons alongside you in the beginning. You continually point out their mistakes, even past ones, without even once thinking of your own. More often than not, you rush into dangerous situations without considering the consequences. Normally, this kind of behavior is NOT worthy of a Xiaolin Dragon._

Omi stopped fiddling with the orb.

 _However…there is still hope for you. Despite seeing nothing but greatness in yourself, you also see the greatness in others. Your enemies Jack Spicer and Chase Young are viewed by your teammates as nothing but that: enemies. You, on the other hand, have seen goodness in both of them on numerous occasions. You are a very active and friendly spirit, always trusting before mistrusting. While this has led to be the wrong decision on some occasions, it has been the correct decision far more often. Your heart's in the right place when it comes to others, but it must be in the right place for yourself._

The mysterious voice actually seemed to sigh.

 _You still have not learned your lesson. Even your experiences within this temple will not leave a lasting impact. Regardless, your success in the future depends on all four of you being Shoku Warriors. You have achieved your new ranking, but for your sake, remember what I said: practice humility, encourage others instead of chastising them, and never lose sight of whom to consider an enemy, and whom to consider a friend. Go forth, mighty warrior, may your small unclean puddle become a mighty ocean of purity._

 _Orb of Torpedo._

What seemed to be a river's worth of water rushed and flowed around Omi. The Orb in his hand changed more dynamically than the others. It wasn't even an orb anymore; it had transformed into something close to an actual torpedo. It was a rocket resting on a circular stand. In the middle of the stand was a pole that rose up into the "nozzle" of the torpedo and down to serve as a handle. The torpedo, stand, and pole were all the same color as the Orb had been, but the rocket part still had the wave designs on it. Omi gazed at the changed weapon for a second before looking down to see his new golden sash. He continued pondering for a second before breaking out into a big smile.

"Yes! I am finally a Shoku Warrior! I would say I did not think I could do it…but that would be a large rotund lie! Haha!"

As Omi continued to soak in his accomplishment, another sigh could be heard from the air around him. Finally, Omi closed his mouth and looked around him.

"So…how do I get out of here?"

The three monks exited their three temples and met up with each other, surprisingly quickly considering how long they had been wandering in the forest beforehand. Soon after they were out, Dojo came back for them. Much to their surprise, he told them they had only been in the forest for a couple hours.

"But…the forest…the temple…it seemed like forever." Kimiko insisted as they rode home.

"What can I say? Mystical forests. They have a way of doing that to you." Dojo shrugged. "Anywho, are those new sashes I see?" Kimiko discarded her previous confusion. "Yup. You're lookin' at three new Shoku Warriors."

"I'm so proud of you kids. You've got your new weapons, too, right?"

The three monks let out cheers in the affirmative as they held aloft their prizes.

"That's the ticket. Oh, just wait until Master Fung sees this!"

* * *

"Well done, young monks. Well done, indeed."

Everyone was back at the temple, and Master Fung stood at the front of the dojo. His four students were all before him on their knees, with their Shoku Weapons lying in front of them. From left to right, it was Raimundo with the Sword of Lucida, Omi with the Orb of Torpedo, Kimiko with the Kanabi Star, and Clay with the Fist of the Iron Bear.

"At last, all four of you are now Shoku Warriors, and have received your new weapons. Not only do you no longer need your Wudai weapons, you have no immediate use for your Elemental Charms either, as your Shoku weapons can be boosted without them." The four monks nodded, remembering how all their weapons transformed.

"However, now the Elemental energy comes from your own chi. It will take time and practice to get used to this, but once you master it, your skills will be mightier than they were with the Elemental Wu. In any case, go easy on boosting your weapons until you get the hang of it." Fung advised.

"Yes, Master Fung." The four chorused.

"Another thing about your weapons; I have already explained all of this to Raimundo, of course, but now it is time the rest of you caught up. You may have noticed they bear a striking resemblance to certain Shen Gong Wu you have frequently used in the past." The four nodded again.

"That it because these weapons, as you originally found them, were forged from the same mystical energies that are used to create Shen Gong Wu, and have changed shape to suit the warrior who claimed them. As such, they technically count as Shen Gong Wu, and can be wagered in Xiaolin Showdowns.

The three newly deemed Shoku Warriors looked excited for a moment, before their looks shifted to worry and unease.

"But Master Fung," Kimiko began. "If we wager these in a Showdown and lose…"

"Your enemy will own them? Yes. However-" Fung suddenly said, getting the attention of his students, "You will not have to worry about the weapons being used against you. For even though they are Shen Gong Wu, they are still _your_ weapons. Only you can access their true power; for anyone else, they will only be as useful as the original Wu they were based on, and this is only after they have been granted permission."

Three heads perked up. "Permission?" they said in unison.

"Yes, for anyone else to use your weapons, you must give them permission to do so. Even if they win it in a Showdown, anyone who possesses your weapon but does not have your blessing to wield its power…will find it to be completely useless." The monks' faces brightened upon hearing that evil wouldn't be able to hack into the power of their new weapons.

"What will we do with our old weapons, Master Fung?" Omi asked.

"Do not worry, Omi. Your Wudai weapons and elemental charms will be kept in a secure location." Fung stepped aside to reveal the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman behind him. The chest opened and the blind spirit came out. He raised his arms and the eight old weapons floated up to him: The Shimo Staff, Kaijin Charm, Blade of the Nebula, Crest of the Condor, Arrow Sparrow, Cat's Eye Draco, Big Bang Meteorang, and Longhorn Taurus. The spirit sunk back into the chest and the Wudai weapons followed, the chest closing afterwards.

"The Blind Swordsman will keep your weapons safe until whenever you may need them again." Fung finished.

"Wow…seems like only yesterday we just got those things, huh guys?" Raimundo asked. "Now we've all got these new weapons to practice. Well, _you_ have to practice more than I do." The leader snickered, having gotten a year-long head start on them.

"And I suggest the rest of you get to practicing." Fung sternly told them. "Now that you are all Shoku Warriors, it is almost time for you to begin the next step in your journey.

"You mentioned this 'next step' before we left. What is it, Master Fung?" Omi inquired.

"Raimundo?" The black-robed boy nodded and stood up to address his followers.

"Guys, working with all of you is great, and the four of us will always be a well-oiled machine, but now the machine's getting an extra engine."

The other three monks exchanged glances.

"Were you trying to sound like Master Fung?" Dojo called from where he was resting in the corner. "'Cause that was kinda…lousy."

Raimundo sighed. "We're adding another monk to the team."

" _What?_ " Three surprised voices exclaimed at once.

"Yes, young monks." Fung said, standing alongside Rai. "I've watched you four grow as a team with pride. But with evil forces such as Chase Young and Hannibal Bean always lurking on the horizon, this team must grow even more. The other monks and I have been compiling a list of possible candidates. You will choose one of them to become the new Xiaolin Dragon in-training."

"Whoa…this is a lot to take in." Kimiko said. "First we get a new rank and new weapons, now we're getting a new _teammate?_ "

"My Nanny…Things are definitely gonna be different 'round here."

"A new student…hopefully I can teach him many valuable things about how to be almost as amazing as me!" Omi seemed to be the happiest of the three.

"Come on, guys, it's not that bad." Raimundo insisted. "We got used to each other, didn't we? What's one more new guy?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right…when is this happening?" Kimiko asked.

"The tryouts won't be for a few more weeks, plenty of time for you three to get used to your new weapons and signature Shoku moves, as well as for all four of you to learn your new Shoku Rocket Formation."

"Don't worry, Fung-meister. I'll whip these three into shape. Gotta impress the new monk…whoever it's gonna be." Raimundo assured his master, who nodded.

"Prepare yourselves, Shoku Warriors. As I once told Raimundo, your job has only begun. The survival of the world depends on _you_."

Dojo chuckled. "Not too much pressure there."

* * *

 **So there you have it, the first chapter of my new XC rewrite! I have several ideas for what I want to do for the actual episodes, so just hang in there; the rest is on its way. Until then, keep fighting the good fight and Gong Yi Tan Pai!**


	2. S1E1: New Monk on the Block

**Well guys, here it is: the first official rewritten episode of Xiaolin Chronicles! I hope you all enjoy it, and thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed. It means a lot, it really does.**

 **One more thing, I recommend reading my last Showdown story, "The Last Showdown of the Show", first. This rewrite ended up being a sequel to that story, and if you haven't read it, some things in this chapter and later ones might be a little confusing (but hey, that's what Chronicles does *ba-dum-tsh*).**

 **Xiaolin Chronicles belongs to Christy Hui, Shen Gong Wu belong to Warner Bros.**

* * *

 _Welcome to Xiaolin Chronicles. Meet the legendary Xiaolin monks, defenders of the world from the dark curtain of evil. These are the chronicles of the young warriors striving to become Xiaolin Dragons._

"Omi."

Omi weaved through an obstacle course, dodging swinging plastic blades and small wooden darts.

"Shoku Neptune, Water!" Omi shouted. A large stream of water shot from his hands, flying into the air before curling back around like a worm and blasting the structures holding the plastic blades to pieces.

Kimiko flipped through the air and landed next to Omi, who tagged her and ran off to the side.

"Kimiko Tohomiko."

"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko lit her body on fire and leapt towards a river with wooden crocodiles snapping at her. Kimiko swung from trapezes around, over, and through the crocodiles before their wooden jaws closed on her. As she swung, she hurled fireballs from her hands, destroying the imitation beasts. She leapt from the final trapeze, somersaulted in the air a few times, and then gracefully landed.

Kimiko's majestic landing was interrupted when a large boulder nearly flattened her. The boulder suddenly exploded to reveal Clay. Kimiko, who had luckily not been hurt, glared at her Texan friend before smiling and tagging him.

"Clay Bailey."

Clay ran at a collection of wooden poles with spikes on them and leapt off each one, causing them to spin around rapidly with the cowboy not being hurt at all. When Clay was done hopping around like a cricket, he jumped high into the air. "Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" Clay landed in the middle of the poles and punched the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the poles to pieces. When he was done, Clay raised his hand into the air, which was tagged by a flying blur.

"And last but not least, the leader: Raimundo Pedrosa."

The black-robed monk was using his wind powers to soar through the air. Gold-colored bladed disks flew at him and he weaved around each one. Finally, he placed his feet on one of the disks as it was flying by and rode it like a hover board, dodging the rest of the disks. Raimundo put his hands together. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" The warrior created a miniature tornado around him that sucked up all the other disks. When they were all swirling around him, he thrust his arms toward the back wall. All the disks flew as if from cannons, burying themselves in the wall. Two disks landed a few feet across from the other above the rest which formed a sideways crescent, making a golden smiley face on the wall.

Raimundo landed on the ground and the rest of the monks came to stand next to him. They turned around to look at their audience. Several young men were standing in a group dressed the same: creamy yellow robes with black belts and white pants. Most had their jaws hanging open in shock from witnessing the supernatural display.

"Excellent job, young monks." Master Fung, who had been saying their names earlier, said. He turned to address the group in front of him. "As for the rest of you, if any of you hope to join these noble warriors as the fifth Xiaolin Dragon, I suggest you begin training."

None of the monks responded, as they were still recovering from the monks' spectacle. Omi frowned at their disobedience. He pulled out an army helmet with imitations of his dots on it and put it on. He walked up to the group of men.

"You heard Master Fung," Omi said. He glared at one as intimidatingly as he could due to his height. "Do as I say, or you're OUT!"

This seemed to shake the monks out of their stupor.

Omi took off his helmet and turned it upside-down to reveal slips of paper inside. "I have assigned numbers to all of you. It is time for training to begin. Chip-chip!" Omi said as he started putting the papers, which had red numbers on them, on the others' backs. Raimundo walked up to him. "Chop-chop." He whispered to Omi to correct him, but was promptly ignored.

Later, all the newbies were demonstrating their fighting skills and other moves in the temple's courtyard. Omi stood at the front in full drill-instructor mode while the others stood behind him.

Master Fung walked up to them with Dojo at his side. "Omi, I appreciate how…serious you're being, but I don't understand why they're all wearing numbers." The young monk smiled. "It's a new system I invented, Master Fung. Since only one monk will remain, there is no need to bother remembering _everyone's_ name!"

"True, true." Fung agreed.

"Check out those clowns," Kimiko said as she pointed out three monks who were against each other.

Omi followed her gaze and immediately became all business again. "Numbers 15 and 26! That is not proper back-piggying technique! And Number 23, you call _that_ a crane position?! Clearly your mother never told you not to slouch! All three of you are out! You may go…NOW!"

The three monks (one of which was riding on another's shoulders), left in shame.

Rai folded his arms and shook his head. "Amateurs", he said.

"Remember, young ones," Fung cautioned. "All of them are less skilled than you are. That is why you must be very careful about whom you decide to eliminate. As for the remaining monk, the decision must be unanimous."

"Don't worry, Master Fung, I remember." Omi assured him. "I am simply separating the grain from the cave."

"You mean the wheat from the shaft." Fung corrected.

"That too."

Just then, a blur came rushing through the area. It zipped around faster than a dragonfly, knocking over other monks.

"What's that?" Dojo asked.

Rai narrowed his eyes to get a better look. "Not what; who."

Finally, the blur stopped. It was another of the new monks-in-training (The number on his back was 33). He was dressed in the same cream-yellow robes as the rest of them, but was much shorter and younger than any of them. His skin was yellow and he had a big round bald head. The only thing that differentiated him from a certain other monk was a large round pair of green glasses. The young boy frantically looked around. "Debo ir!" He exclaimed. He then rushed around some more. "Tengo que ir!" He almost shouted. He continued running.

"Who's that little feller, and what in tarnation did he just say?" Clay asked.

Kimiko got out her new cell phone to bring up a translating app, but she was beaten to it.

"He said he must go, he needs to go." Raimundo said.

Kimiko looked up at him. "How did you know that?"

The Warrior of Wind chuckled at the stares he was getting. "Guys, I'm from Brazil, remember? English and Portuguese are my fortes, but I've picked up some basic Spanish."

"Well, where does he need to go?" Clay asked.

The boy was hopping around now. "Mis regiones inferiores están a punto de convertirse en una manguera de bomberos!"

" _Now_ what's he saying?" Kimiko asked. "…Rai? What's so funny?" The older boy was holding his hand over his mouth trying not to burst out laughing. "I got this, guys." Raimundo said once he finally calmed down. He walked onto the field. "Hey ! Poco muchacho de cabeza redonda!" He called out.

The little round-headed boy turned to Raimundo, beamed a large smile, and rushed over to him. "Si! Si!" Raimundo pointed over to one of the temple buildings. "Lo que estamos buscando es de allá."

The boy hopped up and down. "Gracias, Gracias! Merci!" The young monk rushed off, almost knocking over Omi and the others like bowling pins. Raimundo raised an eyebrow. _'Merci? That's French; he switched languages on me!'_

"What did you tell-" Kimiko stopped talking when she noticed the door the monk had zipped through: the boys' bathroom. "Oh, _that's_ where he had to go." She said with a smile.

As quickly as he entered, the bifocal lad rushed out. He skidded to a stop in front of Raimundo and bowed.

"My humble thanks to you, Leader Raimundo. I do not know what I would have done without your help." He said in perfect English. Raimundo laughed. "Hey, it's cool, little dude. I don't _want_ to know what you would have done without my help."

"Polite _and_ multilingual; impressive." Fung spoke up. "I must say, young monk, you remind me of a certain someone I know."

"Indeed, Master Fung." Omi said. "Someone who we all adore."

Raimundo rolled his eyes. "What's your name, kid?"

"Oh! Excuse-moi for my rudeness." The boy quickly bowed. "My official title is 'Boris Antonio Rolf Jean Pierre Gaulle LeGrand…IV!'"

"Hoo-wee! That's a mouthful!" Clay commented. "Maybe we can come up with a nickname or somethin'."

"Ooh, I've never had a nickname before! That would be most spectacular!" Boris started running in circles around the group.

"Well, he's full of energy, that's for sure." Kimiko remarked.

"Yeah, almost like a ping pong ball with legs." Dojo added.

Omi put his hand on Boris' head, causing him to stop. "My friend, while we do not need to learn _everybody's_ name, there is something about you that speaks of a fearless Xiaolin Warrior. Dojo has given me an idea: instead of 'Number 33', how about I call you…Ping Pong?"

The miniature Omi gasped and hugged the regular-sized Omi. "Fantastique! Brother Omi, I now witness you are true to your reputation; most intelligent! It is an honor to receive a new moniker under you! From this day forward, I shall be known as…Ping Pong!"

Omi shook off the dizziness from his fan hugging and shaking him. "It was my pleasure. Now, Ping Pong, show me what you can do."

"This will be _my_ pleasure!" Ping Pong ran back out onto the field. He put his hands together almost as if he was praying and closed his eyes. As he concentrated, three vertical dots not unlike Omi's appeared on his forehead. "Piggy Taking Bubble Bath!" Ping Pong jumped into the air and slammed into the ground, causing dirt to fly up, forming a small ditch. The little monk then started swimming through the dirt like it was water. The monks laughed good-naturedly as Ping Pong got up and readjusted his glasses.

"Hey!" Dojo realized. "That's a signature move from the Lotus Locust Clan! It was formed many centuries ago by the great Xiaolin Dragon Barky LeBois."

"Speaking of Dragons, young monks, let the new arrivals train a little more, then have them all come in to learn the legend of the Xiaolin Dragons, and what exactly they will be fighting for." Fung said as he turned and left. Ping Pong's eyes widened and his tongue rolled out when he heard this. He seemed to be reinvigorated and went right back to running around and training, tripping up more hapless hopefuls.

Raimundo chuckled as he watched him go. "So, Omi, gonna stick around to see how the new mini-you holds up?"

"As much as I would like to, Raimundo, I must prepare for the presentation. The new trainees will need to see a woozy of expert Shen Gong Wu skills!"

"You mean a doozy." Raimundo corrected as Omi walked off.

"Great," Kimiko murmured. "He left us to babysit these guys."

"Come on, Kimiko." Raimundo spoke up. "Demonstrating the Shen Gong Wu to these noobs is a very big honor to Omi."

"Yeah, yeah. I just hope he doesn't do anything that'll turn out to be a _big_ mistake."

* * *

"Orb of Torpedo!" Omi was in the dojo preparing to demonstrate the power of the Shen Gong Wu. He shot water from his Shoku weapon and made it curl and form shapes in the air before letting it splash down.

"Star Hanabi!" Omi shot small fireballs into the air that quickly exploded like tiny fireworks.

"Third-Arm Sash!" Omi made his new blue appendage twirl around him like a tornado and make various gestures like a thumbs-up and the peace sign.

"Moby Morpher!" Omi put his forearms together to connect the halves of the two-part Wu. Instead of focusing the power on himself, he turned it toward a small line of objects. The first was a potted daisy, which Omi turned into a daffodil. The second was a live frog, which Omi transformed into a dove. The newly changed animal, still possessing the mind of a frog, hopped around on its new legs. Finally, Omi used the Moby Morpher on a small wooden box. In a second, there was an upright slinky in its place.

Omi put the Morpher away and looked proud with his work. "My Shen Gong Wu skills are truly a sight to behold. I'm sure the trainees will have their heads exploded, though I am not quite sure why anyone would want that to happen. Oh well." Omi shrugged at the odd saying and left the room.

A minute later, Kimiko's voice could be heard. "Omi, you in here? Master Fung says it's time for the-" The girl monk looked at the dojo.

"Oh, would you just look at this mess! Water all over the floor," she said, stepping through it. "Soot," she continued, coming across the remnants from the Star Hanabi display. "And this junk…" She finished when she came across the subjects of the Moby Morpher. "Boys, honestly…" Kimiko grumbled to herself as she gathered them up. She placed the new daffodil back where Omi had gotten it, then went outside to set the frog-minded dove loose. As she headed back inside, she passed by a dumpster used for the temple's garbage. "Omi's too old to be playing with dumb toys like this anyway." She said, throwing the slinky in the trash.

Meanwhile, all the newbie monks were gathered in the dojo ready to hear this "epic tale".

"Man, this is boring." One boy said to another. "I came here to learn to _fight_ , not to hear fairy tales."

The monk suddenly felt a sharp pinch at his neck. It was Master Fung. "I assure you, this is no fairy tale." He walked up to the front of the room. "Now, let us begin. Prepare yourselves, young ones. I will now enlighten you of the _true_ story of the greatest warriors on the planet…the Xiaolin Dragons."

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Omi walked up to the front of the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small round Wu. "Shadow Slicer!" The Wu opened like a camera lens and projected a holographic image into the air for everyone to see. Many of them were amazed, including the newly dubbed Ping Pong.

The image showed a man and a woman getting ready to fight. "Long ago, in ancient times, there was an epic battle between the legendary Xiaolin Dragon Grand Master Dashi and the evil Heylin witch, Wuya."

" _Man, she's hot._ " One boy whispered to another.

Fung pretended not to hear this. "The battle between Dashi and Wuya was the first of many magic-oriented battles between the Xiaolin and Heylin sides. These battles are known as 'Xiaolin Showdowns'. Wuya used her dark magic against Dashi and the mystical weapons known as Shen Gong Wu." The Shadow Slicer image moved to show their fight as Fung spoke, with Wuya holding a bolt of dark energy against the Eye of Dashi that Dashi used. Dashi then threw a small wooden box at Wuya, which opened up to reveal a tornado, which Wuya got sucked into.

"Dashi succeeded in defeating Wuya, trapping her in a simple puzzle box. To prepare the world for Wuya's escape as well as other Heylin threats, Dashi hid the Shen Gong Wu around the world. Since then, a long line of Xiaolin Dragons have produced many more Shen Gong Wu, which have also been hidden around the world, to keep the balance between good and evil. These young monks have already retrieved many Shen Gong Wu, which are kept locked away in a secure location. Now, would any of you like a demonstration?"

A few monks raised their hands, including Ping Pong.

"Very well. Omi?"

Omi eagerly rushed to the front of the room. "My fellow warriors…and other future losers, behold the power of the…Serpent's Tail!" Omi held up the Wu and jumped up. The versatile Wu carried Omi through the air until finally Omi went straight through a wall. The class stared at where Omi had disappeared before he phased through the opposite wall. Omi landed and threw the Serpent's Tail aside.

"Sword of the Storm!" Omi took out the sword-shaped Wu and spun it in his hand like a fan. It created a strong breeze. Many of the monks had to hold on to keep themselves from being blown away.

"Mantis Flip Coin!" Omi leapt through the air like a rubber ball, reaching impossible heights and never tiring out. Omi landed with his arms wide. He had expected the whole room to start applauding, but the only clapping came from Ping Pong, who was doing it with a huge smile on his face. Several of the others in the room were just staring in disbelief.

Though some had more disbelief than others…

"Oh come on!" The same monk who had called the story a fairy tale exclaimed. "I've seen better magic tricks at my cousin's sixth birthday party! None of you are really buying this, are you?"

"Hey!" Kimiko shouted. She, Raimundo, and Clay (who had been standing to the side) rushed forward alongside Omi. "This isn't fake! The Shen Gong Wu really are magic!"

The skeptical monk folded his arms. "Really? _Prove it_."

Kimiko growled and reached for her Kanabi Star. "Gladly…" Omi put up his hand to stop her. "I will handle this." He said while staying perfectly calm. He slowly walked up to the disruptor.

"What are _you_ gonna do, cheesehead? Stuff me in a puzzle box?" He laughed.

"We are out of those." Omi simply said. "But I do have these." He reached into his robes and pulled out another Wu. He held it up to the boy. "Changing Chopsticks." The boy was surrounded by a yellow glow. Before he could ask what was going on, he suddenly shrunk until he was the size of an eraser.

"Hey! What did you just do to me? This isn't funny! Change me back now!" He exclaimed.

"I thought you didn't believe the Shen Gong Wu could do anything." Omi said with a smirk. He held up the Wu responsible. "These are the Changing Chopsticks. They allow whoever possesses them to shrink their opponents down to a small harmless size." Omi lectured while ignoring the tiny cries below him. "They were created centuries ago by Barky LeBois, the Xiaolin Dragon of Wood." Omi pointed the Chopsticks at the boy again. With another name drop, the ex-skeptic was returned to his normal size.

"Y-you're crazy! I'm outa here!" The boy cried as he ran off.

"Well, that's one more monk down." Raimundo remarked. "And frankly, I'm glad _that_ guy won't be joining us."

"Please, tell us more!" Ping Pong begged. "Did you say, 'Barky LeBois'? If I remember correctly, he was the original founder of my clan!"

"That's right, he was." Dojo confirmed. "He also loved duck livers. Uh-oh." Dojo suddenly started writhing on the ground. "Hoo boy, here we go." Dojo suddenly started darting around the room uncontrollably. As he moved, his body was covered in large pink boils that looked gross and made even grosser sounds. The other monks freaked at the sight and fled, leaving the room empty except for Fung, Dojo, the four Dragons, and Ping Pong.

"Way to clear the room, Dojo." Raimundo commented.

"Dojo, what's wrong? Are you sensing a Shen Gong Wu?" Kimiko eagerly asked.

"I…I think so…I thiiiiink…Nope, false alarm." Dojo said as the boils disappeared.

"Darn. This has been happening a lot lately," Kimiko said, annoyed.

"Yeah, there hasn't been a new Wu sighting in _months_! All we've gotten are these lame fake-outs!" Raimundo complained.

"Hey, you think _I've_ been enjoying this?" Dojo demanded as he rubbed his body where the boils had popped.

"What do you make o' this, Master Fung?" Clay asked.

Fung pondered. "I don't like this. I feel as if these false alarms are no coincidence. It's like…a dark cloud that has eclipsed the sun."

"Well, at least we still have most of the Wu that _haven't_ been false alarms." Raimundo tried to calm everyone.

"Very true, Raimundo. We have been doing a most excellent job at preventing our Wu from falling into the hands of evil!" Omi agreed.

"Brother Omi!" Ping Pong exclaimed. "I have admired you for a very long time! I have heard of many evil doers you have faced! Chase Young, Hannibal the Living Bean, evil mermaids and snowmen…"

"Wow. This kid _has_ done his homework." Rai said, impressed.

Ping Pong started rambling about exactly how much he knew about each villain to Omi, who simply confirmed and gloated about how _he_ defeated each one. While the two bald-headed boys talked, Kimiko called the other two boys over.

"Guys, is it just me, or is this Ping Pong kid a real joy to be around?"

"Gotta admit, the little dude's pretty likeable, even if he just looks like a smaller Omi with glasses." Raimundo agreed.

"He's got some skills on 'im, too." Clay added.

"Exactly! Remember what Omi and Dojo said about his clan and its founder, Barky Whatever? He was a Xiaolin Dragon too, right?"

"Yup, the Dragon of Wood. You think that could be Ping Pong?" Raimundo asked.

"We don't have the Wood Element yet. It would be nice to add to the collection." Clay noted.

"Wood or not, there's definitely something Xiaolin-y about this kid. Trust me on this, guys, sometimes a girl just knows." She giggled.

"…We can sense it too, Kimiko."

"Hmph." The three turned back to where Omi and Ping Pong were still discussing the rogue gallery.

"Ooh! Ooh! And of course, the evil boy genius, Jack Spicer! Whatever happened to him?"

"We have not seen Jack Spicer for a while. But not to worry, Ping Pong! His Jack Bots are not a problem for _us_!" Omi boasted. "If they ever dare to attempt to invade our temple-"

"Like that?" Ping Pong pointed.

Omi turned to see a few Jack Bots hovering outside heading towards the vault tower. "Exactly. If they ever try something so foolish-" Omi's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Come on!" Raimundo shouted as the group ran outside. They got to the vault just in time to see many Jack Bots flying out of it with their metallic arms full of Shen Gong Wu.

"No, no! The sacred magical weapons are being stolen!" Ping Pong exclaimed. "Brother Omi, we must do something-um, Brother Omi?" The young monk turned to see that no one had moved and that few of them were even holding back a chuckle.

" _Seriously?_ Jack still hasn't learned by now? What is this, the _fifth_ time he's had his bots raid the vault?" Kimiko giggled.

"Yeah. I mean _come on_ , get a clue, man!" Raimundo snickered.

Ping Pong stood confused. "I do not understand. You all seem unusually upbeat about your Shen Gong Wu being stolen."

"Oh, those weren't Shen Gong Wu, Ping Pong. Not real ones, anyway." Kimiko explained.

"Those were fakes whipped up by my old buddy, Chucky Choo! He's a genius when it comes to replicating Shen Gong Wu!" Dojo added.

Ping Pong began to understand. "Oooohh, so those Wu were decoys!"

"That's right, kiddo." Raimundo said. "We _used_ to keep 'em in there, but after the four hundred raids, we figured it would be best to move 'em. We store the _real_ Wu in a second, top secret vault. And for safety reasons, only one of us knows where it is, as well as the combination to open it."

"Yes. The only one who has been trusted with the location and combination to the vault is _me_. Would anybody like to guess?" Omi said proudly.

"Sure, Jack's managed to swipe _one_ Wu in the past year-"

"His precious Monkey Staff." Kimiko interrupted.

"But all the other Wu are ours!" Raimundo finished.

"Don't worry, lil' hombre. We won't have to worry 'bout Spicer or anyone else swipin' our Wu anytime soon." Clay said, putting his massive hand on Ping Pong's tiny shoulder, the little monk smiling up at him.

"Indeed, Ping Pong. Whatever pot of evil stew Jack Spicer is cooking up, it will most definitely be lukewarm!" Omi said matter-of-factly.

Unbeknownst to the monks, the vault wasn't the only thing the Jack Bots had raided.

* * *

"I want to RULE THE WORLD!"

Another dart was thrown at the dartboard, which had a picture of the Earth taped to it. The dart stuck somewhere in Northern Europe.

"Not just America, not just China, _definitely_ not just Canada, I want the WHOLE WORLD!" The one shouting and throwing darts was none other than the villainous (or so he claimed) Jack Spicer. He hadn't changed much in the past year; he retained the swirled goggles that never left his head and the "stylish" black trench coat that swept the ground.

The albino redhead growled. "F-Bot!" he shouted as he turned to a group of robots, most of which backed away to reveal a floating droid wearing a bow tie and apron. His face was more detailed than the normal Jack Bots', with expressive eyes, a wide toothy mouth, and a large metal mustache. Its right hand was a spatula and the metal on top of its head was white and shaped to resemble a chef's toque.

"Oui oui, sir?" The robot nervously asked.

"Your turn!" Jack shouted, grabbing him by the spatula arm and dragging him over to a large computer terminal which displayed a long screen of written events. "Tell me why I haven't taken over the world yet? Why isn't my perfect 'take over the world' schedule working? And don't hold back on the details!"

"Um…Oui." F-Bot nervously replied. But before he could attempt to give advice on a subject he knew nothing about (and most likely earn a one-way ticket to the scrap heap as a result), several normal Jack Bots entered the room.

"Sir, we have successfully raided the Shen Gong Wu vault." One drone droned as it and the others presented the "Wu" they had stolen.

"Excellent! Come to Papa!" Jack said as he grabbed the objects from his creations. "Silk Spitter!" When Jack shouted its name, confetti exploded out. Jack groaned and threw it away. "Fake." He pulled out another Wu. "Fist of Tebigong!" Jack tried punching a wall, but the "Fist" shattered to pieces when he did. "Fake!" Jack said again as he tried one more time. "Eye of Dashi!" The jewel in the middle of the pendant glowed red, but lighting didn't shoot out.

"Kid, they ain't real! Give it up already!" The smart-alec voice of Chucky Choo said through the recorder within the pendant.

"GRRRR!" Jack threw the fake Eye of Dashi, almost hitting F-Bot. "Why do they keep loading their vault with these phony Wu?!"

"…Maybe because you keep stealing the real ones, monsieur?" F-Bot suggested.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, F-Bot!" Jack angrily pointed at him.

"Actually, monsieur, you did-"

"SHUT UP! And get out of my sight!" F-Bot quickly sped away.

"Sir," One of the Jack Bots said.

" _What?_ " Jack seethed, not in a good mood after another failed Wu theft.

"We also searched the monk's garbage for the materials you requested." It said as a couple more Jack Bots dumped out certain contents of the temple's dumpster. Jack's eyes lit up. "Finally! There's _gotta_ be something useful in here!" He said as he went over to the piles. He had instructed the Jack Bots to loot for discarded electronics or other recyclables, _anything_ of theirs that he could find a use for. He was naturally frustrated.

"No…no…" Jack mumbled as he tossed items such as busted light bulbs and plastic water bottles. "This is all junk…whoa, whoa, **whoa** , hold the phone!" Jack said as he did so. "Is this Kimiko's cell phone? This was in the _trash_? Guess she got a new one from her dad's awesome electronics company." Jack suddenly realized what he said in front of his bots. "Not as awesome as _my_ electronics, of course, but still, I could use this." He said as he pocketed the old phone. "That's pretty much the only thing I _can_ use here. I should have known better than to think the _monks_ had technology worth stealing! They're so old-fashioned; losers! I mean look at this, a slinky?" Jack said as he pulled out the toy from the pile. "What, you guys rob a toy store? Granted, that's evil, but still…" Jack walked back to the screen showing the supposed timeline for his ultimate conquering of the planet. Jack absent mindedly tossed the slinky back and forth in-between his hands as he stared at the screen. He was so focused on it, that he didn't notice light-purple smoke coming out of the slinky. The smoke collected behind him to form a small ghostly figure whose only defining feature was a clown-like mask where her face should have been.

"Hello, Jack."

Jack quickly turned around. "WAAH!" Jack stumbled onto the ground as the ancient spirit looked down at him.

"Wuya? What are you doing here?" he asked as he stood up.

"You just freed me, of course."

"I free-" Jack looked down at the metal object in his hands. "You were trapped in a…slinky?"

"It _was_ the box," Wuya grumbled, "until Omi transformed it for some juvenile 'demonstration'." Wuya tried her best to make air-quotes with her two stumpy arms. "But I suppose I should be grateful. After all, here I am."

"Yeah, hooray." Jack said unemotionally. Wuya looked around. "Your lair looks different. Did you redecorate?"

"Ha! Redecorate? Guess again, sister! I finally moved out of my parents' basement! Got my own place now and it is the mother of all evil lairs! Booya!" Jack said.

"Hm." Wuya floated up to the computer screen. "I see you haven't given up on your dream of world conquest." she noted, getting the gist of what the program was (literally).

"Nope. And I can do it _alone_. I don't need _you_ to find Shen Gong Wu anymore; I have my Detecto-Bot!" Jack gestured to a robot that looked like Wuya's ghostly head on a human woman's body. "Sure, she's been a little buggy for the past few…um…months." Jack was interrupted as the android started sparking and glitching. "Shen-Wu-reveal-Jack's-aweenie." It managed to say before shutting down again. "But I'll fix it! So if you please..." Jack said, gesturing towards the door.

Wuya suddenly got stiff and shuddered. "I'm sensing a Shen Gong Wu!"

" _What_? But it's been months since-um, yeah, sure, whatever." Jack tried to stay cool.

Wuya seemed to have forgotten Jack was there as a big smile slowly spread across her face. "Yes… _yes…_ YES! AHAHAHAHAHA!" The evil witch cackled.

"O-kay, you've officially freaked me out now. It's just a Wu-"

"No, Jack! This is no _ordinary_ Wu!" Wuya said, grabbing Jack's shoulders (or trying to anyway). "It's the Specto Change-o!"

"The…what?"

"The Specto Change-o! With this, I won't need the Serpent's Tail and Reversing Mirror anymore! This one Wu will allow me to go back and forth from this floating capitulum to my glorious physical physique." She said, striking a modeling pose.

"It'll turn you human again? Just like that? _With_ your powers?"

"Exactly! We must go get it at once!"

"Oh, now it's _we_? As in, you and me? Why dontcha go ask Chase? Oh, that's right; he doesn't trust you with your powers! So why should I?" Jack said, folding his arms and turning his back.

"Chase is a fool! He knows I'm more powerful than him, so he deliberately stripped me of my magic out of pure paranoia! Help me when he didn't, and I'll turn you into the evil overlord you dream to be."

Jack turned back toward her. "You sure? You promise you won't feed me to some big rock monster once you have your powers back?"

"My dear boy, I may be an evil witch who desires to rule the world and will crush anyone who gets in my way like the lowly insects they are, but I always help those who help me." She said sincerely.

Jack thought it over. Raimundo _did_ seem to have it pretty sweet when _he_ helped Wuya get her powers back, and he had been one of her worst enemies. Jack smiled. "Jack and Wuya, together again, just like the good ol' days!" The self-proclaimed boy genius ran off to get ready for the Wu hunt.

"Yeah, the 'good old days'." Wuya mumbled, making air quotes again. "Once I have my body back, they'll all pay. Chase, the monks, everyone! And I'll bet they don't even know I'm gone!" The ghostly witch cackled again.

* * *

Back at the Xiaolin Temple, most of the other candidates for the next Xiaolin Dragon had been eliminated from their lack of skill or dedication. Omi was currently observing four trainees, one of them Ping Pong, as they fought against their own shadows on a brick wall. Three of them were good, but stiff. Ping Pong, on the other hand, leapt and punched the wall with great speed. "My shadow, I challenge you to up your game!" The small monk said. The other three stepped back as Omi lifted up a long wooden pole with a round disk attached, the shadow of the disk covering Ping Pong's shadow. Omi waved the pole back and forth, Ping Pong keeping track of his "shadow". Suddenly, Ping Pong started punching the wall so fast and so hard that when he was done, he actually knocked a few bricks loose, creating a small hole.

"Numbers 7, 13, and 21, you may go now, thank you for playing ball." He finished as the other three boys left to go back home.

"Brother Omi, how did I score?" Ping Pong eagerly asked as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

"The sound of 'Brother Omi' is growing louder inside me. From now on, you will be my little gecko."

"M-me, be your little gecko? Your protégé? Oui oui, gecko accepts!" Ping Pong eagerly shouted as he jumped up and down faster than someone dribbling a basketball.

Omi put his hand on Ping Pong's head to stop him again. "Little gecko, you have excelled every test most expediently, and have shown you have an honest-to-wellness Xiaolin spirit. It is quite clear who will be my choice for the final Dragon position."

Ping Pong looked around before whispering, "Who?" Omi laughed. Ping Pong was even more naïve than he was! Before he could explain, though-

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND IT?!"

The two bald-headed kids turned to see Dojo frantically following Raimundo. "I mean, we've lost track of it. Don't worry, Dojo, we'll find it."

"You'd better! Oh, this can't be happening…again." The dragon wept.

"What is the matter, my friends?" Omi asked as he and Ping Pong walked up to them. Before Rai could open his mouth, Kimiko ran up to them panting. "I checked the Heylin Seed room, the kitchen, the library, Master Fung's bathroom…" Kimiko shuddered at that last part.

"We're looking for Wuya's puzzle box. Have you seen it, Omi?"

Omi suddenly went red in the cheeks. "Um…I maaaaay have, borrowed it for…practice for my demonstration?" the Dragon of Water nervously said.

"You did _what?_ " Raimundo shouted.

"Omi, why'd you do that?!" Kimiko demanded.

"I wanted to make sure I would woo with my Wu!"

"We already looked in the dojo, Omi. What did you do with it?" Raimundo asked.

"I used the Moby Morpher to shift its shape into a springy."

"Springy? You mean a slinky?" Kimiko gasped. "THAT WAS WUYA?!"

"Did you see it, Kimiko?" Raimundo turned to her.

"Um, yes, but don't worry! I know exactly where it is!"

Later, Kimiko poked her head out the dumpster. " _It's not here!_ "

"How can it not be there? You threw it away less than an hour ago!" Raimundo demanded.

"I don't know! It's just not here! Maybe someone took it." Kimiko suggested, climbing out of the trash.

"That's ridiculous! Who could have taken-" It hit Raimundo like a truckload of concrete. "The Jack Bots. _Jack._ He must have let her out again! Great, now Wuya's back with Jack!"

"Oh, what'll we do?" Dojo whimpered. "Wuya's free, and we don't have any new-oowoo!" Dojo suddenly started flinching and flopping on the ground. He started furiously scratching himself, causing a few scales to fall off. "Woowoo- Wu! Wu Alert!"

"Dojo, we don't have time for another false alarm." Kimiko grumbled, brushing the last of the garbage off of her.

"This isn't a false alarm! We really got one this time!" Dojo said as he continued to scratch.

"I sense that Dojo is correct." Fung said, walking up with Clay beside him. "The dark cloud that has eclipsed the sun seems to have disappeared. It must be connected to Wuya's recent release."

"Wait, we really got a Wu this time?! _Sweet!_ " Raimundo fist-pumped. "What's it called? What can it do?"

"Uh-oh." Dojo mumbled.

"Uh-oh?"

"Wuya couldn't have picked a worse Wu to sync her release with! Come on, I'll show ya!" Dojo ran back inside, the rest following.

"Brother Omi, what does he mean by 'show us'?" Ping Pong asked as he followed Omi. "Little Gecko, prepare to witness the wondrous power of the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu." Omi smiled.

Inside, Dojo opened up the scroll. Ping Pong's jaw dropped at the moving pictures _on the paper_. "This Wu is called the Specto Change-o. It allows the user to transform between metaphysical states at will." Dojo explained as the image showed a person using the Wu to change into a floating wisp with its head on it and back again. "Fun fact, the guy who made this Wu was originally gonna call it the 'Bubble Brain', but there was already a Wu with that name."

"Young monks," Fung started. "You cannot allow Wuya to claim this Wu. If she does-"

"She will be able to regain her human form…and her powers." Omi finished.

"Exactly. You must hurry, young ones. And do not allow anything to distract you."

The four Dragons bowed and rushed off with Dojo. They skidded to a stop outside.

"How will you reach the Wu before Wuya does?" Ping Pong questioned.

"Dojo will take us." Raimundo answered.

"Yes, I understand that Dojo knows where it is, but _how_ will you get there?"

Raimundo snickered. "I just told you. Dojo?"

"Stand back, kiddies." Dojo instructed as he grew to his huge form. When he was done, he roared and spewed flames through the air. Ping Pong's jaw dropped again. Dojo smiled at this. "All aboard the Dojo Kanojo Cho Express; the Specto Change-o awaits!" One by one, the monks climbed on the dragon's back.

"Brother Omi…may I?" Ping Pong hesitantly asked.

Omi smiled and reached out his hand. "Come little gecko, you can learn much by observing me." Ping Pong broke into a huge smile as Omi helped him up.

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "What about the rest of us?"

"You are correct, Raimundo. You can learn much by observing me too."

The leader sighed as Dojo took off. Kimiko, who was right behind him, patted him on the back. "At least we'll finally get another Wu." She said. Rai smiled. "Yeah, 'bout time. I wonder why it's been so long, though? And what _is_ with all those false alarms? Oh well," Rai shrugged as they soared through the air. However, Raimundo may not have been so passive if he had known they were being watched…

The murky image of the dragon and the monks riding on his back faded from the Heylin Eyeball. A fist covered in green armor pounded the armrest of a throne.

"Confound it." The owner of the fist and throne, none other than the infamous Chase Young, grumbled. "Curse that worm Spicer! Once again, he has proven himself to be nothing more than a thorn in the side of true evil! Oh well," the immortal villain resigned, "at least I've got a few extra 'surprises' for future encounters with those monks. Besides," he smirked. "None of this compares to my master plan. The forces of good will fall…and the forces of evil will rise." A creepy smile adorned Chase's lips as his jungle cat minions watched.

* * *

As the monks were flying towards their destination, Ping Pong started writing in a small light blue journal. The cover of the journal depicted a darker blue sphere with three vertical dots on it. "I have experienced many ways of travel in my short life, but none like the great temple guardian Dojo. On top of that, he can also detect the mystical Shen Gong Wu. What a truly wondrous and fascinating creature!" Ping Pong said aloud as he wrote.

"You know, I'm think I'm growing fond of the little round guy." Dojo said.

"Thank you, Dojo." Both little round guys said at the same time.

"I meant Ping Pong."

Omi grew sad when he heard this, but kept his face straight (or tried to anyway).

"Whoa nelly! Everyone, 6 o'clock! Below us!" Clay exclaimed and pointed. The dragon, Dragons, and Dragon-to-be looked down to see a murky swamp. Since Dojo wasn't flying that high, they could make out the shape of a young woman fighting a large group of purple monsters. They were the size of alligators, and their limbs and tails even looked similar, but their main bodies were like giant leeches. They had the girl surrounded, and while the female was holding her own very well against them, she couldn't keep it up forever.

"What are those things?!" Kimiko exclaimed at the revolting creatures below.

"Pond Suckers," Dojo answered just as disgusted. "Their smell's even worse than their bite!"

"We gotta help that girl!" Raimundo shouted, ready to jump off right there.

"Wait a minute, guys! What about the Specto Change-o? Master Fung told us not to let ourselves be distracted!" Kimiko interrupted.

"We can't just sit here and do nothin'!" Clay argued.

"Clay's right, Kimiko. Those things'll eat her alive!" Raimundo spoke up.

"Um, hello? Wuya? Evil witch who's only one Specto Change-o away from regaining her powers and plunging the world into ten thousand years of darkness? Ring a bell?" Kimiko persisted.

"Ugh! In the time we've been bickering, we could have saved a dozen damsels in dresses! Let us go already!" Omi interrupted.

"I agree with brother Omi! Let's shoot this hoop!" Ping Pong agreed as he gave his larger counterpart a high-five.

"We'll make it quick, Kimiko." Raimundo assured the Dragon of Fire, who just crossed her arms and humped. "Take us down, Dojo!"

"On it!" Dojo said as he swooped downwards. The monks all leapt off and jumped the Pond Suckers. "Orb of Torpedo, Water!" Omi sent water from his Orb that blasted some Suckers back. "Kanabi Star, Fire!" Kimiko circled her Star around to make a ring of fire and leapt through it, lighting herself on fire and plowing through the leeches. Raimundo did an odd move that resembled a cartwheel inside a ring of wind. He knocked many Suckers aside. As for the ones that stayed, he blew them away with a cry of "Sword of Lucida, Wind!" After most of the Suckers were on the ground, Clay finished the battle. "Fist of the Iron Bear, Earth!" Clay punched the ground, making a crevice that drained the swamp water, dragging the Pond Suckers with it. One of them managed to grasp the side, but Ping Pong kicked it in the head, making it fall down. Ping Pong's attack almost made him fall down the gorge too, but the woman they had saved grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Hey thanks, ya'll," she said in a southern accent. The woman was fair-skinned with golden blonde hair that completely obscured her left eye (they were green). She wore a simple white short dress with a golden belt and white shoes. "Guess I got myself into a bit of a nasty scrape there. The name's Willow."

"You are most welcome, Willow maiden." Omi said as he bowed. "We enjoy saving damsels in a dress."

"'Damsels in distress'," Rai corrected.

"That too."

"What's a little lady like you doin' so far off the range?" Clay asked.

"I was tryin' to find the Xiaolin monks. I was hopin' to compete for the new position."

"Well you're in luck, because the Xiaolin monks have found _you_." Raimundo said, walking up and offering his hand. "Raimundo Pedrosa, Dragon of Wind and leader."

Willow giggled as she shook his hand. "The way you bravely leapt in to save me like that, it's clear you're the leader."

' _I like her already.'_ Rai thought, and then mentally shook his head to get down to business. "That's Kimiko, Dragon of Fire; Clay, Dragon of Earth; Omi, Dragon of Water; and Ping Pong, he's trying for the spot too." Rai said, pointing to each one in turn. "Ahem!" came a voice from the side. Rai turned. "Oh yeah, and that's Dojo, our dragon. He helps us find the magical Shen Gong Wu."

"More like finds the Wu _for_ you, but charmed. If I may say something, Willow, Pond Suckers are creatures of darkness. They stick to the shadows and are very territorial. Usually it takes some kinda dark force to rile 'em up like that. How exactly did you tick them off so much?" Dojo inquired. Willow seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Well, um…"

"Dojo! We do not dwell on _how_ pretty girls get into life-threatening danger; we focus on how they get _out_ of it. A thousand pardons for our dragon's rudeness, Miss Willow." Omi bowed as he said this.

Willow looked relieved. "It's fine, ya'll." She rubbed Ping Pong's head. "So this little one's tryin' out for the fifth Xiaolin Dragon, too? Looks like I've got some tough competition," she said, causing the bespectacled one to giggle. "If I'm not too late, that is." She said, turning back to the others.

Kimiko folded her arms. Willow seemed nice enough, but there was something about her aura that rubbed the Dragon of Fire the wrong way. She also remembered their talk about Ping Pong and the Wood element. "Actually, you _are_ kinda late. Besides, we've pretty much decided-" Raimundo suddenly clapped his hand over her mouth. "To give everyone a fair chance." He said, glaring at Kimiko. Raimundo suddenly pulled his hand away and wiped Kimiko's slobber off of it.

"No, no, I understand. If I'm too late, I don't want any special favors," she said, touching Clay's shoulder and sending chills up the cowboy's spine. "Oh, not at all, milady. We'd be delighted to have ya'll compete."

"As long as this does not happen again," Omi said, walking up. "The last thing we need is a girl monk who always gets in trouble with her limited upper body strength…" He suddenly felt himself being lifted up by the back of his collar. "Not that girls don't have upper body strength!" He quickly said before Kimiko threw him into a leftover puddle of swamp slime.

"I must defer to brother Omi. I am his little gecko." Ping Pong chirped.

"Gecko? Oh, you mean grasshopper." Rai started before being elbowed by Kimiko. "Let 'em have their nickname, its cute!"

"Regardless, the Willow maiden can indeed compete. Here, you will be Number 72." Omi said as Willow kneeled down so he could affix the card to her back.

' _72? I don't remember there being that many newbies.'_ Raimundo thought to himself.

"Why thanks, Omi. I promise not to let ya'll down. Even though this is the first we've met in person, I've been followin' ya'll for quite a bit."

"You've…been following me? You must be very skilled in the art of 'blending into one's own shadow.'" Omi said, impressed with Willow's (implied) abilities. The new girl looked a bit uneasy when Omi said that, but no one noticed because Dojo spoke up.

"If we're done adding to the cast now, we've got a potentially world-ending Wu to find, remember? Hop on, let's go!" Willow smirked before joining the other five.

"Don't worry, Dojo. I'm sure we'll still beat Jack to this thing by a long shot." Raimundo confidently said as the monks soared into the sky once more.

Unbeknownst to them…

Jack stepped out of his vehicle into the cold. Wuya had led him to a snowy mountain. Jack began to think that he should have packed warmer clothing when he spotted the Specto Change-o in the white ahead. The Wu resembled a large red jewel in a bronze, pearl-decorated holder and topped with a golden crown shape. There seemed to be a brain inside the stone, referencing its ability to create grey matter.

"Oh yeah! The Jacko is back-o! Prepare for the victory dance…of evil!" Jack said to himself.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

"Jack, you nincompoop!" Wuya said, interrupting Jack's victory dance…of evil. "Fine, I'll handle the rest from here." Wuya floated over towards the red gem-like Wu. "Finally…after all this time…prepare for the return…of evil!" Wuya blinked. "Oh great. I think Jack's starting to rub off on me."

While Wuya was seriously doubting her choice of a partner, the good guys flew overhead. "There they are! Jack…and Wuya." Raimundo said, his voice lowering to a growl upon seeing the ghostly witch again. He noticed how close she was getting to the Specto Change-o. "Not today, you old hag." Raimundo looked ready to leap off Dojo, but even so, he might not be able to stop Wuya from using the Wu in time.

"Allow me, Raimundo." Omi said. He thrust his arms down. "Shoku Neptune, Ice!" Just before Wuya got close enough to use the Wu, The snow around it suddenly erupted. Wuya flinched back as the gleam of the jewel was lost in a flurry of white. When Wuya looked again, the Specto Change-o was nowhere to be seen; it was buried in the snow somewhere around them. Omi leapt down and made himself seen.

"Well, well, look who finally made it to the party: Chrome Dome!" Jack said, happy to see his enemies again despite losing track of the Wu. Ping Pong than landed next to Omi and mirrored his hero's fighting stance. "And a new mini Chrome Dome." Jack added. The other monks and Willow jumped down to join them as Dojo shrank down. "Long time no see, Xiaolin Losers! As great as it is to see you all again, I'm just one Wu away from total evil domination, baby! So let's just skip to the part where you get minced, okay? Jack Bots, MINCE!" The four Dragons (and two future Dragons) found themselves surrounded by Jack's mechanical minions. These looked different than Jack's past Jack Bots. They lacked proper faces in place of Y-shaped visors that shone a wicked red.

Some of the new Jack Bots tried to grab Kimiko. She held out her weapon. "Kanabi Star, Shoku Mars, Fire!" Fire spewed from the Star like a flamethrower, frying the Bots. Others surrounded Raimundo and Willow. The leader quickly stepped in front of the new recruit. "Sword of Lucida, Shoku Astro, Wind!" Rai swung his Sword, sending powerful gusts of wind that formed small tornadoes around the Bots, pulling them apart. Clay noticed more coming down from a mountain. "Fist of the Iron Bear, Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" Clay punched the ground, creating shockwaves that went up the mountain. Sharp stalagmites suddenly sprouted, impaling the Bots neatly. Even more came at Omi and Ping Pong. Omi held up his weapon. "Orb of Torpedo, Shoku Neptune, Water!" Water came from the Orb and swirled around Omi; soon the boy shot through the air like, well, a torpedo, soaring in a trail of water and smashing straight through the line of Bots coming at him. With that, Jack was officially Jack-Bot-less.

Omi looked from where he had landed to see Ping Pong smiling and waving at him. Omi also saw Jack sneaking up behind him. He couldn't warn him from where he was, but luckily, Ping Pong saw Jack's reflection in his glasses. Just before the boy genius could grab him, Ping Pong leapt up and back-flipped behind him. Ping Pong kicked him in the back of the head and landed in front of him prepared to do so again, but Jack reached forward and took off Ping Pong's glasses. The vision-impaired monk started randomly punching the air, but no one saw Willow scoop up a snowball behind them. As she did so, the snowball was suddenly incased in an aura of white magic. Willow threw it and it hit Jack with a lot more force than it should have. Jack was knocked onto his stomach as the glasses flew from his hand and back to Ping Pong's face.

Jack looked up to see the tiny monk glaring down at him. "Ping Pong Slapping Mosquito!" Ping Pong started rapidly slapping Jack all over his face. Jack got up and tried to walk away, but Ping Pong slapping him caused him to stumble and fall down again. However, Jack felt his foot come down on something other than snow. Jack turned to see that his leg had dislodged the Specto Change-o from where Omi's attack had buried it. Jack turned and leapt to grab the Wu at the same time Ping Pong did. As soon as the two touched it, the Wu started glowing. "It's glowing!" Ping Pong said incredulously. "What does that mean?"

"I'll tell you what it means, newbie: it means I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. You can back down if you want to, though. I'll just whup your butt anyway." Jack said. Ping Pong scowled. "The only butt that will be whupped is yours! I accept your challenge!"

"Great! I wager my Monkey Staff." Jack said, pulling it out. "What are _you_ wagering?"

Ping Pong's eyes widened. "Um…" he stammered.

Kimiko, from where she watched the spectacle unfold along with the others, noticed Ping Pong's dilemma. She quickly grabbed Omi's Shoku weapon. "Here, Ping Pong! Wager the Orb of Torpedo! Omi doesn't mind you borrowing it, right Omi?" She said as she threw it to the grateful boy.

Secretly, Omi was jealous that Ping Pong was getting to do the first Xiaolin Showdown they had in _months_ instead of him. His mood wasn't helped that Kimiko had chosen to gamble _his_ weapon. But for Ping Pong's sake, he tried to keep a straight face. "No…of course it is okay for you to use it…little gecko." Omi said through clenched teeth. The Orb of Torpedo apparently accepted Omi's half-hearted permission, because it briefly shone a bright blue. Ping Pong was officially allowed to use a portion of the Orb's power for the duration of the Showdown. "I wager my Orb of Torpedo!"

" _My_ Orb of Torpedo," Omi grumbled.

"Ooh, new Orb? Well soon, it'll be mine. The game is 'Scale the Mountain'. The first one to reach the Specto Change-o wins. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" As soon as these words left Jack's mouth, the ground started rumbling. The hills started slanting as rocks rose up; in seconds, a giant snowy mountain had formed out of the one they were already on. Ping Pong and Jack were at the base while the Specto Change-o gleamed from near the peak.

"Wow…" Ping Pong gazed at the Showdown's magical effect on their surroundings.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" Jack shouted. The first-time Showdowner turned to him. "What does that mean?"

Jack laughed. "You really _are_ new, aintcha? That means 'go', Mothball Man! See ya!" Jack took off and started running up the mountain's snowy yet smooth slope. Ping Pong realized that the race had begun and ran after Jack, though the evil genius had an advantage over him in the form of longer legs. The contestants felt rumbling and noticed that a small avalanche had started by itself. Jack panicked and ran forward, making it just ahead of the snow. Ping Pong, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He stared forlornly at his smug enemy on the other side of the massive snow pile impeding his progress.

The other monks, Dojo, and Wuya were observing the Showdown from a floating platform made of ice. The four main monks were in their specialized Showdown outfits, though now that he was leader, Raimundo's outfit was white (like his element's aura) instead of blue. Most of them groaned at how there was no way Ping Pong would win now, but Omi knit his brow. "Ping Pong!" He shouted. The young monk looked up at him. "Use the Orb!"

"The Orb?" Ping Pong looked down at the Wu in his hands and got an idea. He pointed it downward. "Orb of Torpedo!" Ping Pong said. Water shot out of the Orb, freezing on contact but also shooting Ping Pong upward. Jack noticed this and growled. "Monkey Staff!" He shouted, transforming into a human-monkey hybrid. Ping Pong stopped on a ledge and stared as Monkey Jack started climbing up the mountain with ease. He reached Ping Pong's level and jumped. Ping Pong held up the Orb and tried to call its name, but Jack used the Monkey Staff to whack it out of his hand. Ping Pong continued to dodge being whacked. "Bad monkey!" Ping Pong shouted. Jack left him and continued climbing. Ping Pong looked up at him, and then got an idea. He scooped up some snow and made a snowball. With all his might, he hurled it up at Jack. Jack saw it coming and ducked, but the snowball sailed far over his head. "You missed!" Jack taunted. Ping Pong just folded his arms and smiled. The snowball landed at the tip of the mountain above the Specto Change-o. It rolled down, growing in the process. Jack reached the level where the Wu was only to see a giant snowball come out of nowhere. Jack couldn't do anything as the giant snowball smacked into him and the Wu. Jack fell back down the mountain with his trademark girly scream as Ping Pong leapt up past the snowball and caught the Specto Change-o as it fell, ending the Showdown.

Instantly the landscape turned back to normal. Ping Pong landed in the snow holding not only the Change-o, but the Orb of Torpedo and Monkey Staff as well. His teammates surrounded him as Jack landed face-first in the snow.

" _Idiot_!" Wuya groaned. "You lost the only Wu I needed as well as the _one_ Wu you still had!"

Meanwhile, the other monks were congratulating Ping Pong. "Not only are you a fierce fighter, you're the most adorable fighter!" Kimiko said, hugging Ping Pong.

Omi glowered at this. Ping Pong looked just like him! After all, wasn't it because of _his_ Orb and _his_ advice that Ping Pong won in the first place? He stewed until he felt Willow put her hand on his shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the most adorable warrior I've ever met." Omi blushed as they climbed back on Dojo with their two new Wu.

* * *

That night, shortly after the heroes got back, a private meeting was held in the dining room. Ping Pong and Willow were waiting outside while the Shoku Warriors along with Master Fung and Dojo conversed inside. Ping Pong tried to ask Willow about herself to pass the time, but the blonde girl dodged almost every question, leaving Ping Pong very confused and slightly frustrated. Things were a lot worse inside, though.

"What do you mean it's still undecided?"

"I mean it's still undecided."

"Ping Pong has proven he's got what it takes to be with us!"

"How do we know Willow won't too?"

"Willow was _late_! Besides, there's something off about that girl. Haven't you felt it?"

"All I'm feeling is someone being jealous! I would've thought you'd like another girl on the team!"

"Please, Raimundo! Girls do not like competition!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"N-nothing!"

"Zip it, Omi. Kimiko, be fair. Clay, help me out here."

"Sorry Rai, but I'm with Kimiko on this one. After all, the lil' partner did beat the buzzer, and score the Showdown."

"Yeah Rai, and what about our talk earlier? Ping Pong could be the Dragon of Wood!"

"I'm not saying he isn't! I'm just saying Willow wants to compete too and we should let her."

"Raimundo is most correct. After all, Willow risked her life to come to the temple. To turn her away now would be unfair."

"Omi, she got pinned by giant leeches. LEECHES!"

Dojo chose that moment to interrupt. "Eh…even though I'm still kinda partial to Ping Pong, I have to point out that Pond Suckers are tougher than they look, though I still don't know why so many of them were there…"

"Calm yourselves, young monks," Fung interrupted before more serious fights could begin. "It appears that you are split between Boris and this new arrival, Willow. It is clear that the position for the final monk will have to wait a little longer to be decided."

"Agreed, Master Fung." Omi said as he bowed. The others did the same, though Kimiko did so with a tad less sincerity than the others. They went out to Ping Pong and Willow, the former still trying to make conversation with the latter and failing.

"We are down to two finalists," Omi announced. "Willow, Number 1; Ping Pong, Number 2." He said as he handed the appropriate cards to each of them. "May the best contestant win."

"Thanks, Omi." Willow said again.

"Wise decision…Brother Omi." Ping Pong said with little spirit in his voice as he stared at his number. Kimiko folded her arms, still upset about the whole affair. "Get some rest, young ones," Fung spoke up. "The competition for the final position continues tomorrow. Omi, show Boris to his room. Kimiko, do the same with Willow." Both were less than enthusiastic about the one they had been left with (for different reasons), but they did as Fung asked.

Later in the night, after most in the temple were asleep, Chase stood alone in his lair. He had his arms folded behind is back and his eyes closed. He suddenly opened his eyes and smiled. "You have infiltrated the temple well." As he said that, Willow walked up out of the shadows. "The monks do not suspect a thing," Chase continued. Slowly, Willow changed from the feet up. Her bright outfit turned into dark armor similar to Chase's. Her blonde hair became navy blue and parted into a style not unlike Chase's, showing both eyes, which were strikingly reptilian, like, well you know. Chase held her chin. "Soon, they will fall, evil will reign, and we shall rule side by side. I, Chase Young, and you…"

"The mighty Shadow." The new girl said. A fly buzzed past her, and a long green frog-like tongue shot out of her mouth and gobbled up the fly. Chase watched with approval as overhead the moon was covered by dark clouds.


	3. S1E2: A Girl Named Willow

It was the next day of the competition, and Omi was leading Willow through the jungle a short ways away from the temple. Because she was now one of two finalists for the fifth Xiaolin Dragon, her white and gold outfit had been traded for the traditional red robes and white pants of the Xiaolin. The shorter monk leapt through trees and slid down large branches, the taller monk following almost flawlessly. After a few minutes, the two took a break. "Well done, Willow. Not many can keep up with me that swiftly." Omi said. "What's next, fearless leader?" Willow asked, causing Omi to giggle.

The two noticed movement in the pond in front of them; suddenly, it was filled with crocodiles. Omi quickly rushed in front of Willow. "I will protect you, Willow. The secret to getting past fearsome predators is to intimidate them before they intimidate you. Stare into their eyes and never blink; you blink first, you lose." Omi stared at the crocodiles, only for one of them to snap at him. Omi quickly rushed behind Willow. Willow then walked forward. "No, Willow, don't-" Omi tried to say, but he didn't notice Willow shove the hair out of her eye, and for them to turn reptilian and glow with a black flame. Instantly, every crocodile in the pond seemed to be paralyzed. Omi stood in disbelief.

Willow leapt on one of the crocodiles' backs. "Come on, Omi. We've only got a moment!" Omi quickly got his bearings together and leapt across the crocodiles with Willow. As soon as they made it to the other side, the crocodiles went back to normal.

"I am most impressed, Willow. You already seem to have mastered the art of never blinking." Omi complimented. Willow giggled. "I'm a fast learner. Thanks for the training, Omi. Now let me show you one of _my_ specialties." Willow said as the two went back towards the temple.

A short while later, Omi and Willow were sitting underneath a gazebo in the temple. A plate of crackers rested between the two monks. Willow held up a wheel of cheese. She threw it into the air and with a few chops and swipes, cut it into many thin slices which landed perfectly on the crackers. Omi picked one up and took a bite. "I admire the way you cut the cheese, Willow." The recipient of that comment giggled. "You're way too cute."

"Thank you, but I am not even trying." Omi not-so-modestly said as Willow picked up a bottle of water. She blew into it, and immediately it started bubbling. Omi stared in wonder. "Most bodacious bubble-blowing technique."

"It's my way of making sparkling water, without all the nasty stuff they usually use to make it sparkling." Willow explained as she poured some into a bowl. "Would you teach me this method one day? I too would like to learn how to bubble in the water." Willow laughed again and rubbed Omi's head. "However did someone so adorable and funny become such a mighty warrior?"

"I suppose the secret lies in having strict training since I was a baby."

"You musta been such a cute baby."

"Oh yes, very. And smart too; I changed my own training diapers." Omi smiled at the memory. "Come. I'd like to give you a special gift." He said as he walked over to one of the gazebo's wooden posts. He took out a small knife and scratched Willow's name in the wood. Willow smiled and held out her hand. Confused, Omi handed her the knife. Willow scratched an 'M' and an 'I' under the 'O' in her name, making Omi's name crisscross with hers. Omi blushed. "You really are amazing Omi. You're also the one in charge of the Shen Gong Wu vault, right?" Willow asked.

"That is correct. I alone possess the knowledge of the vault's location and the combination to open it." Omi said with a large smile on his face.

"You don't have to, you know."

"Hm?" Omi opened an eye.

"Well, what if something happens to you? No one would know where to find the Wu."

"Yes, I…suppose that is correct." Omi replied hesitantly.

"Maybe you could tell me. No one would guess that one of the new recruits would know something even the leader doesn't. It'll be our little secret."

"You make an excellent point, Willow, but the others are trusting me. A Xiaolin Warrior never tells secrets."

A slightly frustrated look ran across Willow's face for the barest of moments, then was replaced with a playful smirk. "What if I were to guess the combination? It would help me build my 'tiger instincts', right?"

"Hmm…Let me consider it…okay!" Omi said. "I must warn you, though, the combination is very tricky. This will provide a great challenge indeed!"

Willow rubbed her hands together. "Great! Let's get started!" Suddenly, they heard the sounds of a young boy training. "Oh, that reminds me! It is time to check on Ping Pong's training now. I will be right back." Omi said as he walked off, leaving Willow to resume the frustrated look with nothing to obscure it.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, a basketball game had started. The teams? Ping Pong against Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay. Kimiko flicked sparks between her fingers, Raimundo flexed his arms, and Clay bounced the basketball Omi had received from Jermaine up and down with great force.

"You sure about this, kid? We don't mind goin' easy on you." Raimundo said. Ping Pong narrowed his eyes. "Just bring it." He had also changed into red robes and white pants, though his robe resembled Kimiko's more than it did Omi's.

Dojo blew the whistle and the three Shoku Warriors rushed forward. Clay threw the ball to Raimundo, who stopped it in mid-air with his wind. He passed it to Kimiko who leapt and caught it between her legs. All the while, Ping Pong had not moved.

Immediately after her jump, Kimiko kicked the ball toward the net. Ping Pong suddenly leapt up to the basket, grabbed the rim with his hands, flipped and caught the ball with his legs, and threw it up in the other direction. As the other three monks stared up at the ball, Ping Pong raced down from the basket, jumped on Clay's back, leapt off, caught the ball, soared the rest of the way to the other side, and fell straight through the net, first the ball then himself. He landed perfectly on his feet.

"And the score is Ping Pong: 4, the monks: zip!" Dojo said. The others gathered around Ping Pong, congratulating him. It was then that Omi walked up. "I have always admired the game of baskets and balls. It is perfect to hone one's speed and hand-eye coordination!" Ping Pong walked up to him. "Brother Omi, I am pleased that you finally have time to train me!"

"Little Gecko, your training is now my number one priority. I will show you how to improve your skills to be almost as perfect as my own!" Omi assured the miniature him. Willow walked up holding the tray with the cheese and crackers. "Omi, what about our picnic? And our game?"

"Patience, Willow. There will be plenty of time for you to cut the cheese later." While the other monks exchanged confused glances, Dojo slithered up. "Alright, short stacks, let's see which one of you can make a basket first. And I don't mean with the ball either. Let's keep things clean now, no playing dirty, alright? Alright!"

Omi and Ping Pong stood in the center of the court, and when Dojo blew the whistle, they raced toward the basket. Omi leapt up, but Ping Pong used his head to boost his own jump and fall through the net. He landed, but Omi never did. Ping Pong looked up to see that Omi's head was a little too big for the basket, and he had gotten himself stuck. Ping Pong just stared in shock as the other three burst out laughing.

"What is wrong with all of you?!" Willow demanded as she climbed the pole like a monkey and pulled Omi out. "Couldn't any of you see that Omi needed help?" She said as she cradled Omi's aching cranium, though some of the pain subsided when Omi saw how much Willow was sticking up for him. Rai, Kimiko and Clay all looked down at these words.

Later, Willow put the finishing touches on bandaging up Omi's head. A few feet away, Ping Pong was pouring Omi some tea, shaking with the knowledge that his hero's injury was mostly his fault.

"You were very brave out there, Omi." Willow comforted him. "Do the bruises make me adorable just the same?" Omi asked hopefully. "Even more so," Willow said as she hugged him.

"By the way…is the first number to the combination seven?" She whispered. Omi shook his head. "I mean seven _teen_?" Another shake. "How about 42? 28?"

"Rgh! Hearing all the incorrect numbers is giving me a most dreadful headache!" Omi complained as Ping Pong gave him his tea. Raimundo then walked up. "Hey, Willow, how's about I take over your training from here? Omi needs to rest."

Willow wanted to continue her guessing game, but she couldn't let the other monks know what they were up to. "Alright."

"I can still oversee Willow's training! I was about to teach her how to walk on two fingers!" Omi protested and tried to demonstrate by getting on two fingers, but because of his injuries he couldn't handle the rush of blood to his head and toppled over. Un/fortunately, Ping Pong broke his fall.

"Let's go." Raimundo said as he and Willow walked off. "Let's leave the little guy alone."

"Who are you calling a little guy?!" Omi and Ping Pong said at the same time.

Kimiko watched Rai and Willow head off to start training, and especially looked at Willow with suspicion.

The next day, Raimundo approached Willow while Kimiko was watering the garden.

"So, Willow, ready for another training session?" he asked.

Willow inwardly grimaced. Yesterday, Raimundo had worked her like a _dog_. And she had thought her true master was doing that to her…

"Oh I'd love to…but I can't. I have to scrub the kitchen floor with Kimiko."

"What? You have chores? You're not even a Xiaolin monk yet! Tell ya what, Omi should be doing better today, so how about you go train with him? I'll do your scrubbing."

" _Really?_ You really are the leader; you're both a warrior and a gentleman. Thank you so much." Willow kissed his cheek before walking off. She chuckled under her breath. How perfect! Not only did she get out of doing chores, but now she could continue to try and get the combination to the vault!

As Willow left to find Omi, Kimiko, who had previously been paying the most attention to Willow, allowed her thoughts to shift to Raimundo. He had just accepted _chores_ , and from a newbie! Kimiko just went back to gardening, knowing that she would probably be stuck scrubbing the floor alone.

Indeed, after Raimundo had gotten over being kissed, he thought of ways he could pass the task onto Dojo. A few seconds later, though, he dismissed these thoughts. _'No, Raimundo, you're the leader now. If you say you'll do someone's chores, you have to do them! No more of that slacker stuff!'_

Meanwhile, Omi was feeling well enough to train Willow again and had taken her out to a large cliff face.

"Today's lesson is learning how to climb walls. It is most challenging. Since you are a beginner, it is easier to do it barefoot." Omi said as he took off his shoes. He then climbed the wall like a four-legged spider. "Use any ledges and handholds you can find! These will assist you until you can improve!"

Willow smirked as she took off her shoes. She walked up to the wall and started climbing while perfectly sticking to the surface, almost like a lizard. She quickly caught up to Omi and smiled at him before heading up ahead. Suddenly, part of a ledge she grabbed onto crumbled, too fast for her to do anything about it. With a yell, she fell down past Omi who managed to flip down and grab her arms with his hands while having his feet still stuck to the wall. It took some effort, but Omi flung Willow upward, where she quickly stuck to the wall again. "Thanks, Omi! Guess I haven't quite gotten the hang of this yet."

"For beginners, it can be helpful to make the hands and feet stickier using spit. Here, allow me." Omi said. As he was right near Willow's bare feet, he prepared to hock a loogie right at them. Willow gulped. "Actually, Omi, as long as we're up here, maybe we could continue our guessing game-"

"Brother Omi!" The two looked down to see it was Ping Pong who was calling up to them. "Master Fung wishes to speak to you!" Omi swallowed the spit he was about to coat Willow's feet with. "It must be about his urinal; he is very particular about the way I scrub it. I'll be right back." He again said to Willow as he climbed back down to the ground, put his shoes back on, and quickly ran back to the temple. Ping Pong climbed up to where Willow was. "I am a beginner at climbing walls too. Perhaps we could help each other, Sister Willow?" he asked.

"Get lost, jelly bean." Willow coldly said as she jumped back down to the ground, leaving her fellow trainee very annoyed. He understood that they were competing and all, but Willow was definitely a lot less friendly and nice when the Shoku Warriors weren't around. Unknown to Omi, Willow, or Ping Pong, Kimiko had seen the whole thing, which had only deepened her suspicions.

As it turned out, Fung hadn't wanted Omi to scrub his urinal, but to remind him that he had yet to place their two most recently acquired Shen Gong Wu: the Specto Change-o and the Monkey Staff, in the secret vault. When no one was looking, Omi went down into the network of tunnels underneath the temple. He used a torch to light a sconce on the wall, causing a line of them to start up. Knowing he had to move, Omi ran forward, making it past the last torch which burned through a rope. Omi made it to the next room just as a large metal wedge came down, being on the other end of the burning rope.

Omi wasn't out yet, though. He ran through a tunnel as a large boulder rolled behind him. Omi slid under the gate at the end just before it shut and the boulder slammed into it.

Omi got up and dusted himself off. This next room was little more than a giant chasm filled with circular pillars that rose and fell. The artificial lighting suddenly turned off. Fortunately, Omi's tiger instinct got him hopping across the pillars perfectly to the other side. "Let's see Jack and his bots get past all _that_!" Omi chuckled to himself.

The last room was the vault proper, protected by a red door and flanked by two giant monkey statues. Omi leapt up to the statue on the right; its chest was a keypad filled with dozens of numbers. Omi punched in the four-digit code and the door opened. Omi walked into a large circular room with many rectangular drawers in rows and columns around him that were decorated with different symbols. In the center of the room, there was a circular pad on the floor with nine dots arranged in a three-by-three square.

Omi leapt into the air and landed on the center dot. It suddenly shone bright blue. He then jumped to the dot on the lower left, causing the same reaction. After that he leapt to the top center dot, then right center, upper left, bottom right, bottom center, left center, and finally, upper right.

When he was done, the pad opened and a platform elevated up. On it was a black treasure chest that sparkled different colors under a red lid. This was the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman. The lid opened by itself and the genie-like spirit rose out. Omi bowed.

"Most wise spirit of the Blind Swordsman, I have come bearing more Shen Gong Wu that must be put in their proper places." The young monk said as he presented the Specto Change-o and the Monkey Staff.

The genie nodded and the two Wu rose into the air. They went to separate drawers, which opened up to accept their new cargo. When the Wu were put away, the spirit want back into the chest and it lowered into the floor again. Omi smiled and left.

Omi crawled out of the vault's entrance: under a rock near a fountain. Omi walked until he encountered Willow. "Omi. Let me guess: you just visited the Shen Gong Wu vault." Omi looked around before shushing her. "Broken lips sink many ships." He cautioned as he continued walking. Willow glowered. Oh well, she could find out the location easily enough. She followed behind Omi. "I love your use of words, Omi. You're very wise; perhaps we could continue our 'guess-the-combination' training."

"I'd like that. Because your tiger instinct seems to be off a bit, I have invented a special system to help you become a better guesser!"

"Oh?" Willow wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

She didn't. She found herself sitting outside on a rock in a pond with a torrent of water constantly splashing on her. Omi stood a few yards away holding his Orb of Torpedo; it was producing the water, which flew into the air and actually formed a corkscrew pattern before coming down on Willow's head. Currently the water was just a bit chilly.

"L-l-let's see…" Willow shivered. "The f-first number is…34." Omi smiled. "Hot! You are very hot!" Because of his Shoku-level skills, Omi could control the temperature of his water with ease. He made it warm up a bit.

"I know! 39!"

"Hotter! You are a hotchy lotchy!" Omi made the water Jacuzzi-level.

"Oh, so I'm getting closer!" Willow said, not pleased by the heat at _all_. "Um, 45?"

Omi shook his head. "Now you are as cold as a lollipop!" He said as he willed the water to become freezing.

"F-f-f-fortyyy-one?" Willow managed to chatter.

"Hot again! As Ping Pong would say, you are a mucho caliente!" The water was practically boiling now.

"O-o-oh! I guess I'm really close!" Willow said, ready to pop like corn. "40?"

"You are so hot, you are on fire! That's it!" Omi said as he made the Orb stop spouting water. The last of the water finished flying through the air and splashing Willow. "But remember, I never told you so. My lips are stuck together!" Omi said.

Ping Pong walked up to them. "Brother Omi, Sister Willow, may I join in the game of hot and cold?" He asked. "Sorry, game's over." Willow snapped as she walked away, wringing out her hair. Omi groaned. "Ping Pong, why are you always the fifth wheel?" He said exasperated.

"But Brother Omi…how many wheels am I supposed to have?" Omi just walked away. Ping Pong was so focused on letting down his idol that he didn't notice a crow perched in a tree. Of course if he had, he would have thought nothing of it, but there was more to this crow than met the eye.

The Heylin Eye. Chase observed the youngest monk from within his lair. "Interesting." He murmured. "It appears that there is a new player in the game…Ping Pong. I shall have to keep a close eye on him…" he finished.

Meanwhile, Kimiko was scrubbing the kitchen floor…alone. She stopped to rub her forehead.

' _When I get my hands on him…'_

Before her thoughts could get too graphic, she heard footsteps. She frowned when she saw it was only Ping Pong, but smiled when he threw a wet rag on the floor and stepped on it. "Shall we dance, Kimiko?" He asked, holding his arms out. Kimiko chuckled and copied him, stepping on her sponge. "Great idea, Ping Pong. Let's do the kitchen cha-cha!" Kimiko said as she and Ping Pong twirled around the kitchen, getting it wet with their supplies. In no time, the chore was done.

The two monks walked outside. "Thanks, Ping Pong, but that wasn't your job. It was Raimundo's," she growled.

"Actually, Kimiko, I noticed Raimundo getting out the rags and soap. When I inquired what he was doing, I offered to take the job for him."

Kimiko's smile wavered. "Was he really going to do the job, or did he just tell you to say that?"

Ping Pong stopped. "What do you mean? Of course he did. I just wanted to help my fellow monks."

"Ping Pong, you don't have to lie-"

Ping Pong suddenly got angry and placed his hands on his hips. "I am not lying! Have I done something to make you doubt my trustworthiness?"

"No no, Ping Pong, it's not you," Kimiko quickly said. "It's just that, before he was leader, this is the kind of stunt Rai would pull to get out of doing his chores."

Ping Pong raised an eyebrow. "But he _is_ your leader now. Is it such a surprise that he is acting like one?"

Kimiko pondered this. Had Rai changed that much? During the past year, when he was the only Shoku Warrior, Master Fung often took Raimundo to train separately from the others. Maybe he had become a better leader and she hadn't noticed. "You know what Ping Pong? You're right. I should have had more faith in him."

"It is alright, Sister Kimiko. As I said, it is an honor to assist you however I can." The two walked off, unaware that Master Fung and Dojo had seen the whole thing.

"Young Boris seems to be quite wise for his age. Greatness often comes from doing manual labor, especially labor others were meant to do."

"Guess Rai's learned that too, huh?"

Fung smiled. "Yes. It would appear so."

Outside the temple, Clay was sitting in a fenced area where the monks kept mountain goats for milk. He lassoed a small goat with ease, gently braying to calm it down.

"Howdy." Clay turned to see Willow walk up behind him. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, Willow. If ya'll are interested." Clay said.

"Oh sure. I enjoy a good rodeo, and I must say, you lasso with the best of 'em."

Clay chuckled. "Well actually, this is no ordinary lasso." He held it up to her, showing that it looked much like a snake. "This is the Lasso Boa Boa. Not an easy Shen Gong Wu to master, lemme tell ya."

Willow smiled. "Oh, that's a Wu! You musta just gotten it outta the vault. Where is that, by the way?"

Behind them, Kimiko had walked out to check in on Clay. She overheard Willow's last question and decided to stay hidden.

"Oh, well, um, see I didn't get it; Omi brought it to me. He's the only one who knows where the vault is, y'know, for safety reasons."

"And he never told any of you anything?"

"Omi's lips are as tight as the skin on a baby goat's butt."

"You got a way with words, cowboy." Willow leaned in, slowly sounding less cheerful. "This vault o' yours must be pretty big and important if all your Shen Gong Wu are in it. Don't tell me Omi built the whole thing by himself?"

"Oh he didn't. We all pitched in-"

"So you _do_ know where it is!"

"Now now, let me explain," Clay said, taken aback at Willow's sudden assertiveness. "Yes, we all helped build and construct this new vault. It took a while, yes indeedy. I'm pretty sure it was around that time that Jack was able to swipe the Monkey Staff. Good thing that was the only one he took, and 'course we got it back now, so that all worked out…"

"Mhmm. Go on…" Willow said, getting impatient.

"Right, right. So, after the new vault was set up and all the Wu were moved in, we all agreed it would be best if only one of us knew about it. It'd be too obvious if Rai was the one, bein' leader and all, so naturally, we next picked Omi. After that was decided, he used another Wu called the WuShan Geyser on us. That Wu wipes memories, y'see, so Omi used it to make us all forget where the vault is and the combination to open it. Get it?"

"Oh, I get it." Willow grumbled, annoyed that Omi really _was_ her only hope to get into that dang vault.

"Um, anyway, darlin', lassoin' actually ain't as hard as some make it out to be." Clay turned and Lasso Boa Boa'd the baby goat again. "It's a great way to improve on your reflex technique and-" Clay looked back to Willow, but she was gone.

Kimiko watched her walk away. "Willow's got a real talent for manipulation. Luckily, two can play at that game."

A while later, Willow walked back to the gazebo to find Kimiko sitting there with a teapot and two teacups ready. "Ah, Willow. Care to join me?" Kimiko warmly asked.

Willow didn't buy this for a minute, but smiled and played along anyway. She sat down as Kimiko filled her cup. "How exactly did a strong young beauty like you end up in a temple filled with silly boys?" Willow asked slyly.

"I'm a Xiaolin Dragon." Kimiko said simply as she took a sip of her tea. "I can't help it if I'm the only girl."

"No, I suppose not." Willow agreed. "I know what that feels like though; to be the sole woman in a sea of men. Not even men, more like…animals." Willow said with a small smile on her face as she also took a sip. Kimiko noticed this and only raised her eyebrow by the barest margin. "Sorry, but I don't feel that way. ' _Not usually, anyway'_." Kimiko finished under her breath. Willow heard this though and put on a playful smile. "No, of course not. How about a little girl-to-girl secret? Which boy do you fancy the most? Omi, 'cause he's so adorable? Clay, 'cause he's so strong? _Raimundo_?"

Kimiko slightly blushed. "The boys are all just friends." She quickly said. She decided to make her move and bumped the teapot off the table, making it look like an accident. Willow quickly reached over and caught it in her hand without a single drop spilling out. "Nice reflexes." Kimiko said. Willow said nothing as she placed the teapot back on the table.

"Are you sure you're new at all this?" Kimiko asked.

"Well, I've had some training before comin' here."

Kimiko smiled. "Really? From who?"

Willow averted her gaze. "Oh, you've probably never heard o' him. He's very…young." Kimiko raised her eyebrow by a more noticeable amount. "If you say so…" she said.

"…I have to go. I…have more chores to do." Willow said as she left. When she was gone, Kimiko scoffed and gathered up the tea stuff. As Willow was out of sight, Kimiko didn't see her disappear into the shadows.

Willow reappeared in Chase Young's lair. She walked past the jungle cats lazing about on the ground. One lion in particular looked up at her as she transformed from Willow to Shadow. She walked up to Chase, who was eating dinner at his large dining table. "So, any progress on infiltrating the Shen Gong Wu vault?" Chase didn't even look up.

"It'd be a done deal by now if it wasn't for that Ping Pong." Shadow spat. "He's always hanging around the bigger gumdrop, getting in the way."

"Yes, I've noticed." Chase said as he continued to eat. "Small problems such as this 'Ping Pong' character can easily escalate into big ones if they are not properly attended to. One Omi is troublesome enough…" He said the last part to himself.

"Kimiko has proven to be a problem as well. She's got the eyes of an eagle, that one."

"That may be, but Ping Pong must be dealt with first." Chase said decisively. He then picked up a bowl with a green scaly tail hanging out and took a drink. Shadow licked her lips. "Maybe I'd have a better chance of succeeding if I had a little…boost."

"Don't. Even. Think about it." Chase sternly said. "In order for my plan to succeed, you must find a way to remove Ping Pong from the picture."

Shadow noticed a rat escaping a panther's paws and scampering past her. Her frog-like tongue shot out and snatched up the animal, which she caught in her hand. "Oh, don't worry. When I get through with that little gumball…" She finished by raising the rat to her mouth and opening her jaws around its little head.

CHOMP!

Clay leaned back and savored the juicy deliciousness of the meat. He, along with his fellow Shoku Warriors and Master Fung, were eating dinner in a secluded area inside the temple. Dinner consisted of steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn on the cob (Since Omi was a vegetarian, he had a tofu steak instead). Ping Pong and Willow were eating dinner at the outside table with Dojo. The two not-quite-monks were separated from them so they could converse with Master Fung about their decision on who to make their newest apprentice.

"I still think Ping Pong should be the pick; not just anyone can win a Showdown and score a Wu, even against Jack Spicer." Clay started.

"This is true, Clay, but I feel that Willow possesses a certain…gift that motivates me to train her to be a fierce warrior." Omi protested.

After facepalming at the word "gift", Kimiko decided to voice her opinion. She didn't want to just outright say that she didn't trust Willow (seeing how well that had gone last time), so she tried another approach. "On the other hand, Willow let Rai take _her_ duty of scrubbing the floor. Ping Pong took the chore from Raimundo by his own will. Right?" She looked toward Rai, who was eating quietly. "I was just as surprised as you are." He said. "But I insisted Willow didn't need to do the job. I trained with her yesterday, and she did great-way better than I thought. Wherever she was before she came here, she picked up some skills."

' _Yeah, she did'._ Kimiko thought to herself. Clay spoke up again. "Why don't we take both of 'em? I mean it's not like the temple ain't big enough, and both Willow and Ping Pong have different things to add to the team. Ain't diversity what it's all about?"

Raimundo found he agreed, but the rule to accept only one had seemed pretty strict. "Master Fung?" he asked.

Master Fung had calmly continued eating throughout the debate, and stayed calm as he spoke. "Remember young ones, if you bend a sapling too far, the tree will grow up crooked." The four stared at him for a bit until Raimundo spoke up. He had heard a lot of Master Fung's desk-calendar quotes over his year of leader training, and he had gotten used to them. "I think he's saying that if we break the rules now, we'll regret it later." _'Geez, having to translate for one monk trapped in the history books was enough_.'

"Raimundo is correct, and so is Master Fung. Only one monk can be named Dragon." Omi declared.

"Agreed." Kimiko said. "And that should definitely be…"

"PING PONG!"

"WILLOW!"

Kimiko and Omi had spoken at the same time and now glared at each other. "What is with you, Omi?" the female demanded. "Ping Pong was like your little brother until Willow showed up!"

"I cannot help it if Willow exceeds my expectations! Especially for a-"

"Say 'girl' and **SO HELP ME** -"

Surprisingly, everyone heard the knocking at the door. The room went silent until Master Fung stood up and opened the door. Ping Pong and Willow were standing there.

"Um…bonjour, everyone." Ping Pong nervously said. Omi and Kimiko blushed. How much of that had they heard…?

"Apologies for interrupting your respected authoritative mealtime," the bespectacled monk continued, "but during our dinner, Dojo, well he-" He was interrupted by Dojo quickly slithering into the room…on the ceiling.

"Hot one! Hot one comin' through!" the dragon babbled before falling off the ceiling into Rai's hands. He looked toward Omi and Kimiko. "Looks like we'll have to put a raincheck on our…" He briefly turned to look at Ping Pong and Willow. "…conversation. Looks like it's Wu time."

Omi was relieved that he was spared Kimiko's anger, but the Dragon of Fire gave him one last annoyed look before following the others out. Omi let out a breath. Maybe he _was_ overdoing it with all the girl cracks…

Naaah! Kimiko was just being too sensitive, a common case with females. Omi scoffed before heading out, leaving Master Fung to shake his head.

Dojo grew huge as all six monks piled on. After they took off, Kimiko opened the scroll as Dojo gave the lowdown. "Alright, tonight we're going after the Monster Camo Cloak. It's like the Shroud of Shadows' little brother." The monks watched the image show a person putting on the Wu and using it to turn invisible.

"So…what's the difference?" Raimundo questioned as he scratched his head.

"Well, the Cloak has different pros and cons than the Shroud does. You know how the Shroud of Shadows only hides what it can cover?"

"Oh yeah," Kimiko answered, thinking back to one particular Showdown that involved a sumo match.

"The Monster Camo Cloak? Doesn't have that problem. When it hides you, it hides _all_ of you, no matter how much of you there is." Dojo explained.

"Oh, okay." Raimundo said.

"Also, I'm pretty sure it increases your speed. You move swifter when using that thing, like a ghost or, well, a monster."

"Are there any downsides to this thing?" Rai asked, fully intrigued now.

"Well I _did_ say 'cons' didn't I? The Monster Camo Cloak has _one_ hitch: it turns you _completely_ invisible, but not _constantly_ invisible."

The monks expressed their confusion.

"What I mean is, you don't stay invisible. You flicker in and out of sight." The monks looked back at the scroll to see that Dojo was right: the figure reappeared for a second, and then disappeared again. "And the longer you use the thing, the more often you come back, like a light bulb on its last legs."

Kimiko closed the scroll. "Well, it'll definitely be useful…sometimes." She said in an unsure tone.

"Oop! We're here! The Canyon of the Old Faithful!" Dojo announced as they arrived at the area where the Wu had been hidden. It was a canyon filled with many sinkholes that were constantly blowing air and then sucking it back down.

"Hang on! Dojo swooped down. He weaved in-between the hazardous air, but his struggles were nothing compared to the monks, who were doing all they could just to hold on.

"They don't call this the Canyon of the Old Faithful for nothing!" Kimiko shouted.

Suddenly, one gust of wind snagged Clay's hat off his head. "Ah, dagnabbit! Pardon mah French."

Raimundo noticed this. "Dude, your hat!" The leader leapt off of Dojo. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" Rai used his powers to ride the air currents and grab Clay's hat before it got pulled into one of the chasms.

Finally, Dojo landed in a spot where they were safe from the sinkholes. Rai quickly caught up with them and set Clay's hat back on his head before landing too. "Much obliged, partner." Clay said to Rai in gratitude.

"Look!" Ping Pong pointed. "It's the Monster Camo Cloak!" The Wu was hanging on the branch of a bare tree. It resembled a hooded cloak completely camouflage-colored. Omi and Ping Pong ran toward it.

"I will get it!" Omi said as he tried to push Ping Pong out of the way.

"No, Brother Omi! Allow me!" Ping Pong exclaimed.

The two stopped at the sound of an engine. Out of nowhere drove up a large purple evil-looking RV. It had a sort of red cannon on top with a yellow metal covering. Its sides were decorated with lightning bolts along with a picture of a very familiar face. The RV screeched to a stop, knocking over the tree holding the Monster Camo Cloak. The metal covering on the cannon opened up and the person whose picture was on the side shot out of it and landed with a thud.

"Jack Spicer!" Omi exclaimed.

The evil genius groaned and got up. "Hello, Xiaolin Losers! Stay away from my Wu! By the way, like my new RV? It's not payed off yet, but whaddya think?"

"Actually, it's not bad." Raimundo admitted. "But you know we're still gonna get the Wu, right?"

"The only problem is, who's gonna kick your butt first?" Kimiko asked with a sinister smirk.

"I volunteer to do all your chores for the next week if you will all kindly let me kick Jack's buttocks first." Ping Pong politely proposed.

"Yeesh, and you guys call _me_ sick." Jack said as he snapped his fingers. The RV's trunk opened up and dozens of Jack Bots flow out. These looked different from the ones they fought on the mountain, but were still new designs. These Jack Bots lacked the logo the others did, their arms were replaced with what looked like red maces, their bottoms were pointier, and their heads were cone-shaped with no facial features except for a single red eye.

"Jack Bots, keep 'em busy while I get the Wu!" Jack ordered. The monks leapt into action. The robots swung with their blunt fists, but were still obliterated by the Shoku Warriors' elemental attacks. Ping Pong and Willow smashed their fair share of bots too. Raimundo noticed Jack go for the felled tree and the Cloak, but a gust of wind sucked it down into one of the sinkholes. Jack activated his Heli-Bot and started to fly down the hole.

"Oh no you don't! This is _my_ turf! Shoku Astro, Wind!" Rai used the wind to fly down the hole. Inside the sinkhole, the edges were layered and indented, like a smooth mountain trail. Jack suddenly noticed something coming up and hugged the wall. Raimundo barely had time to wonder when he saw it: a large boulder that had broken off from the inside and was now being hurled upward in the blasts of wind. Raimundo couldn't do anything as the boulder smashed into him and the wall. Thanks to his wind powers, Rai wasn't badly hurt, but he was pinned.

Having finished with the Jack Bots, Omi, Ping Pong, Kimiko, and Clay jumped down into the sinkhole too. Omi and Ping Pong ended up running together on one of the ledges. Neither of them noticed Shadow's head briefly poke out from the darkness on the wall. Ping Pong never saw the armored leg suddenly come out from the wall and kick him backwards into Omi, knocking him off the edge into the chasm while Ping Pong was left hanging onto the edge. "Sorry, Brother Omi!" Ping Pong called down as Omi was lifted by the rushing wind back up to the surface.

Kimiko landed next to him and the two continued running. As Ping Pong ran behind Kimiko, Shadow's hand suddenly popped out, grabbed Ping Pong's arm, and threw him forward into Kimiko, knocking her into the eruption of air too.

Again, Ping Pong was left disoriented as Willow stepped out of the shadows onto a lower ledge. She looked down to see the Monster Camo Cloak flying up toward her. She caught it, and a mischievous smirk came across her lips.

Omi, who had recovered from his unexpected trip, looked down to see how his teammates were doing. He then saw Willow happily waving at him with the Cloak. Omi smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, but he didn't notice Willow reach into the shadow, nor did he see her arm appear on the other side of the hole, grab Ping Pong again, and throw him towards her. Willow pretended to be surprised as Ping Pong smacked into her and she released her hold on the Cloak. The Wu was sucked down again. Omi facepalmed.

Raimundo, who had finally gotten himself free, tried to control the wind to make himself go up instead of being pulled down with the current. He heard tiny screaming above him, and looked up just in time to see Ping Pong fall down on top of him. The collision made Raimundo lose his concentration and shot upward like a rocket, zooming right by Omi and grabbing his attention away from the mayhem below.

Ping Pong was pulled down until an arm popped out of the wall and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He looked back to see a sinister silhouette of a girl with long dark hair appear on the wall. Ping Pong only got to stare at it for a moment before the sinkhole went back to blowing and the arm released him, sending him flying up again. Clay, who had earlier lost his footing and was hanging from a protrusion in the rock, looked down to see a tiny rear end quickly obscure his vision. With that, the last two monks were blasted out of the sinkhole.

Jack, who up until that point had stuck to the edge to avoid the wind, saw the Monster Camo Cloak flying up again. He quickly flew into the center. His Heli-Bot caught the current, but Jack had grabbed the Cloak. He flew upward out of the sinkhole, cackling like crazy. "I did it! I DID IT! I finally got another Wu!" Then monks stared up at him in disbelief. Wuya flew up to him. "I don't believe it! You actually got it!"

Jack waved at the monks with his prize. "See ya, Xiaolin Losers, but you won't see me! Monster Camo Cloak!" Jack activated the Wu's power and true to Dojo's word, he completely disappeared, Heli-Bot and all.

The monks picked themselves up. Ping Pong found the others looking down at him. "Ping Pong, what happened down there?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah, little dude. Your nickname may be 'Ping Pong', but you didn't have to take it literally, smacking into all of us like that." Raimundo added.

"Your fooling cost us the Shen Gong Wu!" Omi angrily pointed at him. Ping Pong gulped. "It was very strange. I saw…I don't know how to describe." He turned to Raimundo. "Una chica de cabello oscuro."

"A dark-haired girl? You mean Kimiko?" Rai asked, pointing at her with his thumb.

"No, no, it wasn't Kimiko, it was…una gran sombra."

"A…big shadow?"

"Si, si! I only saw it for a moment, but it was there!"

"I didn't see anything. Did you?" Rai asked as he turned to the others.

"Shoot, the only thing I saw down there was Ping Pong's butt bouncin' all over mah face!" Clay said. They didn't notice Jack reappear behind them for a second, the Cloak's handicap having kicked in. Jack looked fearful for a moment until he went invisible again and slipped away.

"Well _I_ saw Willow secure the Monster Camo Cloak, which we _might_ have kept!" Omi glared at Ping Pong again, who just looked down. The others walked back to Dojo, leaving the young monk saddened.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Sometime later, Shadow reappeared in Chase's throne room, where the overlord was looking over the Heylin Eyeball again. "How was that?" Shadow smirked.

"Not bad. I think it's safe to say the others are doubtful of Ping Pong now. You should return though, so as not to arouse any suspicion." Chase answered.

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to savor this sweet moment of evil before I go back to-" Shadow turned back into Willow. "-bein' a sappy sweetheart." She finished in her southern voice.

Chase chuckled. "Yes, I know, but don't worry. This will all be over soon enough."

Willow bowed before sinking back into the darkness.

The next morning, the four Shoku Warriors converged at the entrance to the temple. Willow had gone out for an early-morning jog by herself. "I am at the end of my string!" Omi proclaimed.

"You mean 'at the end of my rope'." Rai corrected. "I know the feeling."

"There's nothin' worse than losin' a Wu to Jack the varmint." Clay agreed.

"What I'm wondering is what Ping Pong was talking about last night." Kimiko pondered. "Something about a girl made of shadow?"

"You do not actually believe that, do you Kimiko?" Omi asked.

"Well, things _were_ pretty chaotic." Raimundo admitted. "I couldn't see anything 'cept a big rock slam into my face."

"Don't you think we should give him the benefit of the doubt? It's not like we haven't seen stranger." Kimiko said. Behind them, a small round yellow head poked out from behind a potted bush.

"I have no doubt. Ping Pong was merely attempting to blanket his footprints." Omi coldly said as he folded his arms.

"That's 'cover his tracks', partner. And dontcha think that's bein' a mite hard on the little feller?" Clay asked.

"So you are willing to believe that JACK SPICER has in his service a female demon of the darkness?"

"Well…" Clay faltered.

"It _does_ sound pretty out there. Even for us." Raimundo conceded. Kimiko just sighed.

"There, you see? Perhaps Ping P-Boris is not Xiaolin Dragon material after all. He is always coming up short, even shorter than his usual self. And now he is making excuses. That is not how a noble warrior is supposed to act!"

"I agree, Brother Omi."

Everyone turned to see Ping Pong standing there. Instead of wearing his robes, he wore his normal clothes: a white shirt with a light blue jacket, blue jeans and white shoes. Omi blushed as he was suddenly overcome with guilt.

"I am most sorry for what happened last night. I take full responsibility for losing the Monster Camo Cloak."

Kimiko kneeled down next to him. "It's okay, Ping Pong. We used to lose Wu to Jack all the time before this." She clapped her hand over her mouth. That did _not_ come out right…

"I have failed all of you," Ping Pong continued. "Especially you, Brother Omi." He walked up to his larger counterpart. "I was your little gecko, and I let you down." They heard footsteps behind them. They turned to see Master Fung walking up with Dojo on his shoulder. "Master Fung, thank you for having me here at the temple. It was an experience I'll never forget. But I now offer my resignation. I no longer wish to compete to be a monk." Kimiko and Omi gasped as Ping Pong exited the temple and started walking away. Willow then came jogging back toward the temple, done with her run. She stopped when she saw Ping Pong.

"Sister Willow, it's been an honor to fight side-by-side with you. You deserve to be a Xiaolin Dragon. Farewell, to all of you." Willow appeared surprised as Ping Pong continued walking.

"Little Gecko!" Omi protested.

"No, Ping Pong! Don't go…" Dojo whined.

"Master Fung, can't you stop him?" Kimiko pleaded.

The old master lowered his head. "I am afraid, young ones, that that is not my decision." He looked up. "It appears the competition is over."

"Oh…" Willow said as she leaned down and hugged Omi. "I didn't want to win this way. I'm really gonna miss Ping Pong."

"I will too…" Omi said quietly.

The others headed back inside, all of them too preoccupied with the thought of never seeing Ping Pong again to notice the sinister smirk that played across Willow's face, or the black crow that had seen everything.

Chase looked on with satisfaction. "Yes…all is according to plan. Without that little pest, it won't be long until everything the monks have known will be gone. Xiaolin…will _fall_." Chase's statement echoed all throughout the mountain lair.


	4. S1E3: The Fall of Xiaolin

**Hey Xiaolin fans! Here's the last of the original three-part pilot episode, rewritten in my style! After this, the adventure REALLY begins and I promise you it will get a LOT more interesting, 'cause not only will I be rewriting the existing episodes, I'll be writing my own episodes! And I have MANY ideas for them too. So hang in there, because this story is just getting started!**

 **Thanks to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed up till this point, you all rock, and I have some things to say to those I can't or haven't PM'd.**

 **NachoSammich- Thank you for your review, I try to use all the new Shen Gong Wu in my own way and I am looking forward to writing Omi.**

 **Soluna- Yes, you absolutely CAN accept this as canon! I was honored by your comment and I'm sorry I can't PM you.**

 **Guest- Thank you for your constructive criticism. I will try my best to write Chase's original personality better. As for Willow's flirting and snooping, her being so obvious was kind of the point for comedic purposes (it's not like the show made her true identity and motives a big reveal or anything). And one of my goals for this story is to make Ping Pong and Shadow more relatable, fleshed-out characters. Thank you for your concerns and don't worry, for I definitely WILL continue this.**

 **Now that all that's out of the way, enjoy the latest episode and prepare yourselves, for we're just getting started!**

* * *

The metal wedge fell.

The boulder crashed.

The pillars were cleared.

Omi punched in the code to open the vault. He then leapt on the nine dots to reveal the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman. When the spirit rose up, Omi bowed. "Wise spirit, I require some Wu for today's training." Omi sounded downhearted when he spoke, but that wasn't any of the Spirit's business. He nodded and made all the drawers open so Omi could pick what he wanted.

When Omi returned to the surface, the other four monks were training out on the field. Clay was practicing his form, Raimundo was walking on two fingers, and Kimiko and Willow were flipping and kicking. Omi whistled to get their attention.

"I have brought your Shen Gong Wu for today's training." Omi said as he held out a burlap sack. The sack was colored light-blue decorated with white stars and had a dark-blue pull-string. This was a Shen Gong Wu known as the Cosmic Burlap. Its power was that it was a bag that never got full. You could put whatever you wanted in it and it would never burst or even get heavy. This Shen Gong Wu had revealed itself after Raimundo had been made a Shoku Warrior.

Of the few there were. Their last big battle with most of their Heylin enemies all at once immediately after Rai's promotion had seen the Cube of Haniku and Genie Moo activate and Wuya being trapped in her puzzle box again. With Wuya locked away, not many Wu had revealed themselves since. It took a few months for three Shen Gong Wu to activate. After that, they stopped altogether. Dojo would start to sense a Wu, but it turned out to be false alarm, and the scroll would reveal nothing. This had gone on for months until Jack released Wuya from her box-turned-slinky and caused the activation of the Specto Change-o. No one knew why it had taken so long, but now things were back on track.

Anyway, the Cosmic Burlap was one of the three Wu that had revealed themselves, and Omi used it to carry the rest of the Wu up to the surface. "Which Wu did you bring for me, Omi?" Kimiko asked, walking up.

"Kimiko, today you will hone your skills with the Wuzzy Bunny." Omi reached into the bag and pulled out a gold-colored Wu shaped like a small rabbit. Its eyes were green zigzagged spirals etched onto its face, there were two small blocks on the side as its "feet", and its ears were intertwined and made a hole into the Wu. This was the last of the three Wu that had revealed themselves prior to the false alarms.

"The Wuzzy Bunny, huh? Oh yeah, I remember getting this one. What does it do again?" While trying to remember, Kimiko accidentally activated the Wu's power, causing the hole formed by the twisting ears to emit light-purple smoke that sparkled. As she was standing next to Clay, the smoke engulfed him. Clay coughed and waved the rest of it away, but the damage was done.

Clay started swaying. "Hoo-wee, I feel like ah just finished three Thanksgivin' dinners…G'night, everyone…" Clay said before he fell to the ground, passed out.

"Oh, right…it emits knockout gas…" Kimiko said, embarrassed.

"Not to worry, Kimiko. He shall wake up soon." Omi confidently said. "…Maybe."

"What about me, Omi?" Willow asked, walking up. "What Wu am I usin'?"

"Willow, as congratulations for winning the competition, I have chosen for you a Wu that has never before been used." Omi reached into the bag and brought out the second Shen Gong Wu that had revealed itself a year ago, popping a few weeks after the Cosmic Burlap. "Behold, the Medusa Brush!"

The object resembled a light-purple hairbrush. On its backside were two golden patches, one on the top and bottom. They were both heart-shaped with white swirled designs on them, but they were round at the bottom rather than pointed, and the one on top was upside-down. On the front side were thin gold bristles on an oval-shaped blackish purple surface.

"The Medusa Brush? What does it do?" Willow asked as she took it. Omi smiled. "Brush your hair and find out!" Willow looked down at it unsure, but raised it to her head. "Medusa Brush." She said as she ran the Wu through her hair. Suddenly, a patch of her hair tugged and moved on its own. Willow found herself looking into the slitted eyes of a large snake with blonde scales. It was in her hair. It _was_ her hair. Raimundo and Kimiko expected Willow to freak out, but to their surprise she just petted the snake, it smiling happily before turning back into hair. "Interesting," she said, turning back to Omi. "I could get to like this one." She said, holding up the Brush.

Omi was about to get out the rest of the Wu when he suddenly noticed Dojo near the Cosmic Burlap sniffling. "Hey there, lil' partner, you look lower than a snake's belly button." Clay noted. Dojo suddenly used the Burlap to blow his nose, leaving all the monks disgusted.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Dojo sobbed. "I still miss Ping Pong."

"Yeah," Kimiko slumped. "I can't believe he just left, without even leaving an e-mail address!"

"Me neither!" Dojo wept. Raimundo rolled his eyes. "Dojo, it's only been a couple of days."

"I know, but the withdrawal gets worse every minute!" He suddenly gasped. "I can't even remember what he looks like! I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE!" Dojo cried some more. Omi sighed before going up to Dojo and tapping him on the shoulder. When the little dragon turned, Omi connected his forefingers to his thumbs and raised them to his eyes, imitating glasses. Dojo immediately stopped sniffling. "Oh yeah, that's what he looks like." He said, looking and sounding completely normal.

"I am sure Ping Pong will be much better off on his own." Omi spoke up. "Always searching for new evildoers to foil. Fighting alone…all alone…" Omi said, trailing off.

"I agree with Omi. Ping Pong'll be fine." Willow said, running the Medusa Brush through her hair again (but not activating its power). Omi's mood didn't seem to change. Willow leaned down next to him. "Come on, Omi. You need to get your mind off this." She said, whispering so the others couldn't hear. "How about we finish our game?" Omi looked toward her and slowly nodded. He turned back to the rest. "The rest of you can train using the rest of the Wu in the Cosmic Burlap. Willow and I need to do some 'special' training. Farewell." The two monks walked away. Kimiko watched them go before looking back at the Shen Gong Wu that had recently been used as a tissue. "I'm not reaching in there." She said.

* * *

Omi and Willow were in a tree in the front courtyard. The two were hanging upside-down from a branch by their legs and were doing mid-air crunches. Over the past couple of days after Ping Pong had left, Willow had convinced Omi to continue helping her to guess the combination to the Shen Gong Wu vault. While she still didn't know the location, Omi's sadness over Ping Pong leaving and guilt from the last things his little gecko had heard him say had severely dampened his resolve towards making the game difficult. Willow had been easily able to get the next two numbers of the four-number combination: 8 and 26. Now she only needed one more.

"…Let's see…the last number is 20." Willow said as she struggled to continue pulling herself up using only her legs.

"No." Omi halfheartedly said while doing the same exercise with perfected ease, not even tiring a little.

"Okay, not 20…13?"

"No."

Willow grunted. "Come on, Omi! At least give me a _hint_!" She said, exasperated both from the stretching and that the combination was _so close_ …

"Ping Pong and you…"

"What?"

"The last number is Ping Pong, then you, alright?" Omi said as he dropped down from the tree. Willow raised an eyebrow as she dropped too.

"What does that mean, Omi?" The small round boy sighed and folded his arms. "Think, Willow. Use your tiger instinct."

"Right. My…tiger instinct." Willow still didn't know what all that Xiaolin mumbo-jumbo was about, but she tried to think what Omi's hint meant.

' _The number is Ping Pong, then me. What could that mea-'_ the mole's eyes widened as she suddenly had a flashback.

 _Omi walked outside to where Ping Pong and Willow were waiting. "We are down to two finalists. Willow, Number 1; Ping Pong, Number 2. May the best contestant win." He said, handing the appropriate card to each of them._

' _Ping Pong, then me._ _2, 1. 21_.' Willow turned to Omi. "The last number is 21." Omi allowed a small smile to come to his face. "That is correct. Well done, Willow."

The fake blonde could barely contain her excitement. ' _40, 8, 26, 21. I got it, I finally got the combination!_ ' "Now then, about the vault's location…"

Omi held up a hand. "That is enough for now, Willow. We must resume training with the others."

"But-" Willow's pleas fell on deaf ears as Omi walked away. Willow stood there glowering, then a small smile came to her face. "Oh, well. At least I'll have something to report tonight. Like Omi said, back to training." She said, turning over the Medusa Brush in her hands.

* * *

Later, the monks were taking a break from their training. Omi came to a room and looked inside. This was the room that Ping Pong had stayed in. His abandoned robes were neatly folded on the mat that had served as a bed. His "2" card was on top of those. No one, not even Master Fung, had bothered to clean it yet.

Omi sighed and walked into the room, but stopped when he heard a scream below him. He looked down to see that he had stepped on Dojo's tail. The small green dragon had been huddled in a corner reading a book.

"Oh! Sorry, Dojo. I did not see where-wait, why are you in here?"

"Oh, uh, I was just…doing some summer reading." Dojo meekly said, trying to hide the comparatively-wide book behind his skinny body.

"In Ping Pong's room? You know that is disrespe-wait a moment…" Omi said as he noticed that Dojo's book had a light-blue cover with a dark-blue circle that had three white dots on it. "Is that Ping Pong's diary?"

"…I found it under the mat. He must have forgotten it when he…you know…left."

"Dojo, you should not be reading that! That is Ping Pong's business...um, just so I know you did not find anything _too_ private, what exactly have you found out?"

Dojo smiled. "Well, according to this, Ping Pong was born in France, but was employed by the Monastery of St. Mark at a young age. Because of his super speed and youthful energy, his job was as an errand boy, delivering messages from monastery to monastery. He traveled all throughout Europe, which is how he became fluent in so many languages. However, even the holy houses have to move with the times, and the introduction of cell phones and e-mail made Ping Pong's job obsolete. It says that he was ready for a new challenge, and what better way to express his energy than by joining the legendary Xiaolin monks, fighting alongside the bravest warriors ever, including the greatest one of all…Brother Omi." Dojo looked up. "His words, not mine."

Omi's eyes had grown large and were brimming with tears. He quickly turned away. "Dojo…you should scrub your armpits better. The smell is driving me to tears." Dojo sniffed that area and looked up at Omi with a raised eyebrow.

"Omi? Dojo?"

The two turned to see Kimiko standing there. Dojo dropped the diary in surprise.

"What are you two doing in Ping Pong's room…is that his diary?"

"He left it behind…" Dojo tried to defend himself.

"Ugh, you never learn, do you, Omi? You can't just go rummaging through other people's stuff!" She said, thinking back to the time where the boys ransacked her room and Omi had mistaken her lipstick for candy.

"I mean how would you like it if-what's that?" Kimiko said, instantly forgetting her anger.

Dojo looked down to the page the diary had landed on. "Oh, uh, I dunno."

"Let me see that." Kimiko said, picking up the book. The page had a drawing of a silhouette of a girl. She had very long hair and looked quite sinister. There were words written around the picture (thankfully in English, at least for the most part).

"'Le femme brunne. I saw this creature earlier tonight during our last mission. I am sure it is what caused me to lose my footing all throughout the adventure. The others don't believe me. They think it was just my imagination. But I am sure that le gran ombre exists…or perhaps, Brother Omi is right. Maybe I am just making excuses. Perhaps I should leave before I mess up again.'" Kimiko read aloud.

She looked up at Omi and Dojo. "Okay, now I'm _sure_ that Ping Pong wasn't making this up." She said, showing the drawing to them.

"But…what is it? Where did it come from? _What does it wa-ha-hant_?" Dojo cried as he hugged Kimiko's leg in fear. Kimiko shook the dragon off. "I'm still not sure. But funny that none of us saw much of Willow during our last battle, hm?"

Omi tilted his head. "What are you saying, Kimiko?"

"Something's going on here, Omi. And I'm gonna find out what." The female Dragon said determinedly. She took out her phone and snapped a photo of the drawing.

Late at night, Kimiko crept through the hallways towards Willow's bedroom. She then heard rustling in the room. Willow, back in her normal white dress, stepped out. She looked around before heading down the hall. Kimiko jumped down from where she had been hiding in the rafters and followed her. Willow ran outside and left the temple. Kimiko stuck to the rooftops so as to not be seen, and then leapt down and quietly followed Willow through the wilderness, going slow to ensure that she wouldn't be spotted (fortunately, Willow's white outfit made her easy to follow in the dark). Kimiko followed Willow all the way to Mount Hong (where the gang had gone to hide from Mala Mala Jong). By the time Kimiko reached the base, Willow had climbed up into the cave.

"Alright, Willow," Kimiko whispered to herself, "what are you hiding?"

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Kimiko climbed up the mountain and peeked into the cave, sticking to the outside. She saw two people. One was Willow, and the other was-

" _Chase Young?!"_ she gasped. Willow then turned into Shadow. Kimiko gasped again and looked at the picture of Ping Pong's drawing on her phone. "Le femme brunne…Willow is le femme brunne! I _knew_ there was something wrong with her!" She growled. Shadow and Chase just seemed to stand there, not saying anything, confusing Kimiko. Unbeknownst to her, they were communicating telepathically.

' _I see you've finally found the combination to the Shen Gong Wu vault. Good work.'_

' _Yes, but I still don't know where the vault is. Cheeseball's still stubborn when it comes to that.'_

' _No matter. The vault's location will come with the next Shen Gong Wu. It seems that this 'technology' isn't such a waste after all.'_ Chase then put something in Shadow's hand. Kimiko couldn't see what it was.

' _I still don't get it. I thought we were above these things. You said that Shen Gong Wu were nothing but crutches, and that we didn't need them.'_

' _We don't. They do. Without their precious Wu, their morale will be reduced to nothing. We will be able to crush them underfoot like insects.'_

' _Mmm, insects. I'd like that.'_ Shadow licked her lips.

' _Prepare yourself, Shadow. A new dawn of evil is on the horizon.'_ Chase suddenly turned toward the opening. Kimiko flinched back, but ended up stumbling and falling off the mountain. She managed to grasp the side and slow her descent. She landed in a small forest at the foot of Mt. Hong. Kimiko just managed to get her bearings together when a small blur shot through the air and attacked her. Kimiko quickly blocked and countered before hurling fireballs from her hands (though was careful to not start a forest fire). She paused and when she heard a sound, she threw a fireball at a tree, blowing it to smithereens except for the stump. She flipped to the other side of the stump, fire ready, but stopped when she saw who was cowering behind the remains of the tree.

"Bonjour." He said nervously.

"Ping Pong?!" Kimiko exclaimed as the fire in her hands fizzled out.

"Sister Kimiko, it really is you!" Ping Pong happily said as he stood up. "Sorry for attacking you. I could not be sure if you were really you or if you were-" He gasped. "Kimiko! I was correct, about le femme brunne! She is real! And she is Willow!"

"I know, I saw. I'm so sorry for doubting you."

"It is alright. I have been following them since I left. Le gran ombre kicked my buttocks during our last battle to allow Jack to win and to make me look bad. She wanted to discredit me in front of my heroes so I would be shamed and forced to leave. That was Chase's plan all along!"

"And it worked."

The two turned toward the voice to see Chase's jungle cats surround them.

"It's about time _someone_ figured it out." The evil mastermind himself walked out of the shadows. "But we can't have you two spoiling everything for the others, now can we?" Chase snapped his fingers. The cats lunged. Kimiko grabbed Ping Pong's hand and carried him away from the monstrous felines. The two climbed a particularly tall tree, but the cats climbed after them. When the heroes got to the top branch, they leapt off and started climbing the wall, but the cats jumped up and started climbing too. Ping Pong looked down at the advancing enemies. "These cats are most clever at pursuing us."

Kimiko turned to him. "They're not just cats, Ping Pong. They're human warriors. Chase turned them _into_ cats after he either defeated them or forced them to swear their loyalty to him."

Ping Pong's eyes widened. "These savage beasts were once _humans_?!"

Kimiko nodded.

"…Chase is a monster."

"I've known that for years. Hey, I've got an idea. Grab my hand." Ping Pong grabbed Kimiko's hand and swung her down in an arc. Kimiko pulled out her Shen Gong Wu from her pocket. "Wuzzy Bunny!" She yelled, making the purple smoke cover the cats. The cats let go as they fell unconscious, knocking down other cats in the process.

Ping Pong reached the ledge where the cave was only to see Shadow staring down at him. Ping Pong growled and flipped up to attack, only for Shadow to bicycle kick him back into the cave wall. She turned back to see Kimiko shoot the Wuzzy Bunny at her. Shadow flipped over the dust and landed in front of her, causing the Dragon of Fire to go into a battle stance.

"Medusa Brush!" Shadow said, quickly running it through her hair. Her blue hair turned into a nest of writhing snakes, making her look like even more of a monster than she already was. They lunged and snapped at Kimiko, who dodged until one of them clamped onto her arm. Thankfully, Medusa Brush snakes weren't poisonous, but they were strong. The snake flipped Kimiko over Ping Pong. The small ex-monk rushed at Shadow, only for the snake-hair to grab him too. Some cats approached and Shadow threw him into the mouth of a lion. Ping Pong held its jaw open while trying to not be swallowed.

"Ping Pong!" Kimiko yelled as more cats surrounded her. She held out her Wu again. "Good thing Omi made me practice with this thing all day! Wuzzy Bunny, Fire!" Kimiko leapt over the cats, firing the knockout gas from the Bunny. However, with her Fire element incorporated, the Bunny also shot out sparks, igniting the gas and making tiny explosions, which kept the cats at bay. One small boom near Ping Pong's lion caused it to spit him out. Ping Pong slowly got up, covered in slobber and lion breadth. "Ugh…I smell as stinky as a monkey's bottom."

"Actually, they're stinkier. Trust me, I know." Kimiko turned to see more cats approaching. She held out her weapon again. "Wuzzy Bunny-"

"Medusa Brush!" A small blue snake grabbed the Bunny with its mouth and tilted it upward, making Kimiko spray herself. Ping Pong fearfully watched the stretched-out snake compact and return to Shadow.

Kimiko stumbled around a bit. "No…must…stay…awaaaaa…" Kimiko collapsed unconscious, the Bunny clattering to her side.

"Kimiko!" Ping Pong would have rushed to help, but was surrounded by more cats. Since they were stronger than him, Ping Pong used his speed to his advantage, taking a hit-and-run strategy. Chase and Shadow watched the fight with bemusement. Chase walked forward. "You have excellent form for one so small, but you're overmatched, boy. You might as well conserve your energy."

Ping Pong, who had received a few scratches, landed in front of Chase. "I have no need to conserve energy, for I have boundless energy! Fight-fight-fight!" Ping Pong shouted as he ran towards Chase. However, the overlord just caught him in his hand and held him at arm's length. Shadow walked over and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Spirited little gumball, isn't he? In this light, he's kind of cute. Bet he's tasty." Shadow licked her lips again.

Ping Pong pointed at her. "You are moooost creepy." Shadow just held a finger under her eye to act like she was crying. Chase spoke up. "You know, you remind me of Omi. In more ways than one. You have much potential, just like him. Which is why I cannot allow you to roam free, but if you cooperate, I just may spare your life. I could always use a new cat. Shadow?"

The evil woman smirked. "Wuzzy Bunny." She held up the stolen Wu and Ping Pong was engulfed with the knockout gas.

"Don't worry, though," Chase continued, "For now, I will make sure you are there to watch the temple crumble…and all your 'heroes' with it." The last thing Ping Pong saw before blacking out was Chase morphing into his reptilian form and chuckling evilly.

* * *

The camera shifts to Jack's new lair, which from the outside looks like a run-down warehouse with many lightning rods on top, seemingly zapping electricity from some nearby telephone wires. Inside, Jack was pacing back and forth with his arms behind his back.

"Alright, gentlemen (and lady), this is the day we've been waiting for! All our training has come down to this! The Xiaolin temple is not going to conquer itself, so it is up to us to save the day…for evil! Now who's with me?!"

The only response was excited babbled gibberish coming from Cyclops.

"Excuse me…" Katnappe said, raising a paw, "What exactly do you mean by 'training'? You just called us down here an hour ago!"

"I'm still getting paid, right?" Tubbimura asked.

Jack groaned. "Come on, guys! We can do this! At least stick around to hear my plan!"

Wuya floated up to him. "I haven't even seen your plan, and already I can think of several flaws with it," she commented. "Starting with the minor detail that we only have _one_ Shen Gong Wu!"

"And it's _awesome!_ The Xiaolin Losers will never see me coming, literally!" Jack swept the Wu over his body. "Monster Camo Cloak!" He disappeared from sight. His minions looked around for a bit before he suddenly appeared in front of Tubbimura, frightening him. Jack disappeared again and thanks to the enhanced speed the Cloak gave him, got in front of Katnappe before he became visible again. Katnappe didn't react though and lazily swatted at him before he vanished. Jack quickly climbed up Cyclops' massive body and appeared making a funny face right in his eye. Cyclops yelled out in fright as Jack disappeared. He raced back down to the ground and reappeared behind Cyclops. "You see? With this baby, nothing can stop-"

Jack looked up at a giant shadow over him. He had scared Cyclops so bad, he tumbled over backwards. The Cloak's speed powers didn't kick in in time as the jolly red giant fell on top of Jack, squishing him with only his head showing from underneath the large body.

"Please…get off me." Jack squirmed as his other two cronies laughed at his expense.

* * *

The next morning, at the temple, the other monks were worried as to where Kimiko and Willow had disappeared to.

"So no one has seen either of them?" Raimundo asked as he stood near the front entrance with three others.

Once again, Omi, Clay, and Dojo shook their heads. Rai rubbed his temple. "I know Kimiko's never liked Willow much, but where could they be?"

Omi looked down. He had pondered informing Raimundo about the discovery of Ping Pong's diary and Kimiko's determination to get to the bottom of things. He was about to open his mouth when Dojo pointed outside. "Hey, there they are!"

The three monks looked to see Willow carrying Kimiko bridal-style up to the steps. Fearing the worst, Raimundo rushed out to help Willow. "Kimiko! What happened?!" He exclaimed as he took Kimiko from her.

"It's okay, Raimundo, she's just unconscious. I found her a ways away from the temple with this beside her." Willow held out the Wuzzy Bunny. "She musta been training and accidentally used it on herself."

"She was training? Outside? At night? _Alone_?" Raimundo asked, bewildered. "She's always been independent, but geez."

"How long until she wakes up?" Clay asked, turning to Dojo.

"Well, that's just it. It depends on how big of a dose she got. And since she gave it to herself, we have no idea how long she'll be asleep!"

"Great, just great…" Raimundo grumbled as he set her on the ground and looked her over again.

Suddenly, Dojo clutched his stomach. He put his hand to his mouth as if he was going to vomit, but then thrust his mouth upwards and coughed. Out of his mouth flew small fireballs, which exploded into sparks like miniature fireworks. The other monks stepped back. "Woah, there, lil' hombre. Looks like yer havin' a regular hootenanny down there!"

Dojo hacked more fireworks. "Ooh, it feels like Chinese New Year in here…" He coughed again, continuing the display.

"Let me guess, Shen Gong Wu?" Raimundo figured.

"*Cough!* You got it!" Dojo said as his mouth continued to razzle-dazzle. "It's the *cough*-obo-*cough*-op!" He said through his "condition".

"…Could you repeat that, Dojo?" Omi asked.

"I believe Dojo meant to say 'the Bobopop'." Master Fung said, walking up with the scroll. He opened it to reveal a Wu that resembled a bouquet of roses with dodgeballs in place of flowers and a baseball bat in place of a stem. The scroll image showed a person picking it up and swinging it, causing dodgeballs to bounce all over the place.

"It is also known as the 'Dodgeball Bat'. It looks disarmingly 'playful', but it can be very effective." The figure holding the bat suddenly recoiled as he was pelted with his own dodgeballs. This continued until the figure stumbled out of the image circle.

"Don't worry, Master Fung! We shall claim this Shen Gong Wu post hurry!"

"You mean post haste." Rai corrected as Dojo grew huge. "All aboard flight Dojo!" Omi, Rai, Clay, and Willow climbed on. "Wait, what about Kimiko?" Rai asked as he looked back at the unconscious girl.

"I will see to her until she wakes up." Fung assured them as he picked her up. Rai smiled and nodded before Dojo took off. No one saw Willow smirk and turn to a crow perched on one of the buildings, nor did they see Fung's eyebrows furrow as he looked up at their newest recruit.

Chase watched them take off in his Heylin Eye. He turned and walked past Ping Pong, who had been chained high up on a wall. Below him were a few jungle cats that were jumping, but couldn't reach him.

"Well, I'm off to have some fun with my enemies before I destroy them." Chase nonchalantly said as he walked by. "You boys play nice, now." Ping Pong scowled at Chase's backside as he left.

Dojo flew to a swampy bayou. He shrunk in mid-air and the monks landed in the gunky water with a splash.

"Thanks, Dojo." Rai grumbled as he got up.

"Look! It is the Bobopop!" Omi said as he pointed. In the marsh was a tall bare tree trunk, and on top of it was the Wu. The dodgeballs were red and the bat was a normal wooden color with a dark-gray, white-striped grip and a red tassel dangling from the bottom.

A large object suddenly rose from the muck under Clay, who quickly jumped off. It was Jack's new RV, and the windshield wipers quickly revealed him and Wuya sitting in the front. Jack picked up the mic for the loudspeaker. "Hey, Xiaolin wannabes! You might as well give up; the Bobopop's as good as mine. You may remember these guys?"

With that, Tubbimura flipped in front of them and unsheathed his sword. Katnappe jumped at them from the other direction and hissed. Loud stomping behind them revealed Cyclops.

"Comrades, sic 'em! Just like we practiced!" Jack said as he drove the RV toward the tree.

"What practice?!" Katnappe yelled again as the army of evil surged forward.

Raimundo smiled as Tubbimura came at him. "Hey, fatty! How's it goin'? Sorry I don't have time to chat; got a lotta things to do like kick your flabby butt! Sword of Lucida, Wind!" Rai swung his Sword, making a breeze strong enough to sweep even Tubbimura off his feet.

Cyclops advanced towards Clay, who was still in the swamp. "Fist of the Iron Bear, Earth!" Clay punched the ground, making a large crevice in the ground. The water rushed into it, and Cyclops, being the clumsy oaf that he was, had his feet pulled out from under him (fortunately, Clay avoided being squashed, unlike Jack).

Omi had sat on the ground as if he was meditating. Katnappe snuck up behind him. "This is your lucky day, gnome boy. My kittens need a new scratching post." She said as she raised a claw.

"Cats dislike getting wet, do they not?" the monk asked seemingly out of nowhere.

Katnappe faltered. "Um…yeah."

"Then this is _your un_ lucky day!" Omi tilted back and pointed his Orb behind him. "Orb of Torpedo, Water!" A surge of water struck the cat-themed villainess and sent her flying.

While all that was going on, Willow had leapt on top of Jack's RV as he drove toward where the Wu was. He pulled to a stop in front of the tree, but quickly saw Willow jump off and start climbing. Jack's eyes widened, then he sneered, "Hey!" He stood up and went further back into the RV.

Willow climbed up the tree and spotted the red-and-brown Wu on top, encircled by a smaller thin branch. She continued up, but didn't see Jack firing himself out of his RV's cannon again. Willow was just about there when she heard him flying at her and ducked; Jack managed to grab the vertical branch the Wu was on and spun in circles for a moment as his momentum wore out. Jack stopped and shook his head, then reached up and grabbed the Bobopop at the same time Willow did.

Jack raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Hey there, sweetcheeks. I don't think we've properly met. Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, at your service." Willow just narrowed her eyes.

"Whaddya say I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown first, then we go get a milkshake afterwards? My treat." Still no response. "Here, allow me to begin. I wager my Monster Camo Cloak." He said, holding it aloft. Willow smirked. "You're really somethin', girly-boy. I'll whup your behind with my Medusa Brush." She said, pulling it out of her pocket.

Jack's eyes and grin widened. "Promise? Is that like a date? Alright! Let's get this Xiaolin Showdown underway!"

"Actually, how about a Showdown Trio?" Jack and Willow looked up at the new voice to see Chase fall from the sky. He landed on top of the tree with them and clutched the Bobopop.

Jack's goggles fell down his face. "H-hi, Chase! Long time no see. Have you been working out, you look great, you look great."

"Is that Chase Young?!" Raimundo, who had been watching the display with the others, exclaimed.

"Either that, or it's one heck of a cosplayer." Clay answered.

"I am most befuddled. Why is _he_ here? He has never been interested in collecting Shen Gong Wu!" Omi wondered out loud.

"So, can I join your little game?" Chase asked.

"Wait, Willow! Chase is _super_ dangerous!" Raimundo yelled up at her. "Besides, Jack already called the Showdown between him and Willow. Chase can't just jump in…can he?" He turned to Dojo.

"Hold on, hold on, gimme a minute," The dragon had slipped on a pair of reading glasses and was flipping through the Official Xiaolin Showdown Rulebook. "Ah, here we go. According to the rulebook, if a Xiaolin Showdown has already been called between two parties…if the Showdown hasn't started yet, a third party _can_ join in…if both of the other two parties are okay with it."

Chase, who had heard the whole exchange, looked down at the other two. "So, do you two mind?"

"N-n-no! Of course not, Chase! Please, be my guest!" Jack stammered. Chase smirked and turned to Willow. "And you?"

"Willow, say no!" Raimundo shouted.

"Agreed! Chase is far too dangerous for a beginner like you to battle." Omi agreed.

Willow seemed to ignore them and smirked. "Sure, why not."

Rai slapped a hand to his forehead. Then his eyes opened. "Wait. What can he wager?"

It was Chase's turn to smirk. "I wager the Blue Moon Blade."

Chase reached into his armor and pulled out a Shen Gong Wu that looked like a sword. The handle was brown with a round hole in the middle. The handle had two branches ending in upward points. The curved blade was light blue and seemed to shine with an almost wicked light.

Dojo, who was drinking from a cup of coffee for some reason, did a spit-take. "The Blue Moon Blade?!" He sputtered.

"…Is that a real Shen Gong Wu?" Raimundo asked as he narrowed his eyes at it.

"Y-yeah, it is! You know how when you wave a glo-stick through the air, you can see the trail of light it leaves behind? That's basically what the Blue Moon Blade does…except it hurts. But how can _Chase_ have it? I don't remember that one activating!"

Chase continued to speak. "The game is 'Swampdown.' The first one to grab the Bobopop wins."

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" The three said at the same time.

The Showdown caused the tree they were all on to expand and multiply in size. The three contestants stood on roots at the bottom, with the Bobopop waaaay at the top, above many twisting branches.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They all said. The three started climbing the massive trunk. Chase and Willow expertly climbed up and between the many maze-like branches in their way. Jack, of course, was farthest behind. He scowled up at the other two. "Time for a little speed boost. Monster Camo Cloak!" He said, vanishing. He did start climbing faster while invisible, and soon caught up to Willow. He jumped in front of her and became visible again, "Now you see me-" He kicked Willow down a couple branches. "Now you don't!"

Jack disappeared again and climbed toward Chase, but when he got near him, Chase kicked out, getting Jack right in the chest. He grabbed onto another branch and turned invisible again, only to get kicked by Chase again. After a couple more times, he reappeared next to him. "Hey, you're cheating! How can you know where I am?"

"The Cloak blocks the user from sight, but not from sound…such as deep, heavy breathing. Perhaps you should work out more often." Chase answered.

Jack cracked a smile. "You think?"

Chase narrowed his eyes, then reached out and clutched the Cloak around Jack's neck. With one simple flip, Jack was thrown out of the Cloak and back down to the bottom. Chase continued climbing to the top where the Wu was, only to see Willow standing there. She smiled evilly. "Sorry." She said before stomping him and making him fall down too. With that, Willow grabbed the Bobopop and ended the Showdown.

Willow appeared back near her "teammates" holding the Bobopop in one hand, and in her other hand, the Medusa Brush and Blue Moon Blade with the Monster Camo Cloak draped around her arm.

The others went to congratulate her while Jack and Chase pulled themselves out of the muck. When Jack saw Chase, his eyes widened and he looked back towards Willow holding all the Wu.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, **whoa**!" Jack shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Chase… _ **lost**_?!"

"It would appear so," Chase calmly said. He slowly walked over to Willow, with the others surrounding her ready to fight. "Congratulations on your victory. It appears I was mistaken about you… _Willow_." With that, Chase snapped his fingers, was engulfed in green smoke, and was gone.

"Most impressive! Most impressive indeed, Willow!" Omi exclaimed. "It is clear you had an excellent teacher, which of course is me!"

Willow giggled. "I can honestly say I learned from the best." She admitted, causing Omi to blush. However, in all the excitement, no one noticed something appear in Willow's fingers, or that she placed it on the Bobopop, hiding it amongst all the dangling dodgeballs.

"Here you go, Omi," she said, handing him the Bobopop. "Make sure to put this in a safe place."

"I shall, Willow, I shall." Omi said as they all climbed back on Dojo, leaving Jack and his cronies down there, dirty and defeated.

"So, about my payment…" Tubbimura began.

Jack just groaned.

* * *

Later, when the monks returned, Master Fung came out to welcome them home.

"How's Kimiko?" Rai asked.

"She is still unconscious. Her health is perfect, though."

"Good, good." Rai murmured.

While the others left (including Omi to put away the new Wu), Willow's supernatural senses heard yawning. She turned to see Kimiko slowly walk out near the courtyard. She rubbed her eyes.

"Guys…?" She groggily asked. Willow quickly turned to see that no one had heard or noticed Kimiko, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out a certain Wu. "Wuzzy Bunny." She whispered before she stuck her hand into the shadow on the nearby wall. Her hand reappeared from the shadow next to Kimiko, who barely had time to react before she was sprayed and once again passed out. The rest of Willow appeared next to her unconscious form and picked her up. "Oh no, you don't. Victory is nearly at hand, and you're not mucking it up now." Willow whispered in Kimiko's ear using her real voice.

Late that night, in Chase's lair, Ping Pong was still chained up high on a wall. The jungle cats below him had fallen asleep, but nothing could make Ping Pong even the tiniest bit drowsy. He rattled his chains again, only to stop when the noise almost woke the cats. When their breathing became even again, Ping Pong let out a sigh of relief.

' _Come on, Boris. You can break out of here. Brother Omi needs you, Sister Kimiko needs you, and your friends need you. Must…concentrate…'_

Ping Pong closed his eyes and stayed perfectly still. He slowly breathed in and out. The three dots on his forehead lit up. Then, with one tug, Ping Pong pulled his left arm free from the chains. Two more tugs saw his legs loose. Ping Pong was left dangling from one chain, but his shoes had come off when he slipped his feet out. One of the shoes fell on a lion's mane, and the other landed on the pavement with a clatter.

Ping Pong winced as the cats began to stir. A tiger and the lion woke first, Ping Pong's other shoe falling off its mane. The lion roared at him as the other cats got up. Now that Ping Pong was at a lower height with only one chain, the bloodthirsty beasts could reach him. Ping Pong pulled his right hand free from the chain as the lion leapt up to tear him to shreds. As Ping Pong fell, he kicked the leaping lion in the stomach, knocking it down on top of its companions. Ping quickly raced around the dazed felines to grab his shoes and put them back on.

"Thank you for your cooperation, my furry friends, but I am afraid I must bid you adieu!" Ping Pong quickly raced out of the temple before the cats could chase him or alert Chase of his escape.

* * *

It was sundown the next day, and the four conscious monks were doing some final training before retiring. They were training against some dummies. Omi, Raimundo, and Clay were practicing their skills and stances without any Wu. Willow, however, was.

"Blue Moon Blade!" Willow swung her new sword, causing thin blades of sky-blue light to flow through the air and decimate the dummies by cutting them in half or decapitating them. When they were all in pieces, Willow stopped and flipped her hair. "I'm really liking this one." Willow said, admiring her weapon.

"Yeah, that's…that's great, Willow." Raimundo said, more than a little uncomfortable at how nonchalant Willow was about how she tore the dummies to shreds. Suddenly, a small blur rushed in and around them, almost knocking Rai over. "What the-"

' _Uh-oh,'_ Willow thought.

"Is that…" Clay asked. The blur stopped and panted. "My friends…I have grave-"

"PING PONG!" Omi tackled his smaller counterpart in a bear hug. "You came back! I am most sorry for the things I said about you, little gecko!"

Ping Pong struggled to get out of Omi's death grip. "It…is alright, Brother Omi…but please…can't breathe."

"Oh, of course, sorry." Omi quickly said as he let him go. He looked Ping Pong over. "You seem to have been through an experience most intense. Can I get you anything?" He asked sincerely.

Ping Pong panted again. "I have traveled many miles for a full day with no stopping. Some water would be most appreciated, s'il vous plaît." Omi smiled. "No issue. Care to assist me, Clay?"

The Dragon of Earth tipped his hat. "With pleasure. Earth!" Clay stomped the ground and a small crack appeared. It snaked its way over to Omi and Ping Pong, where a chunk of stone suddenly popped out in the shape of a bowl. Omi caught it in his hand. "Water!" A swirl of water came from his other hand and filled the bowl. He held it out to Ping Pong. "For you, my friend." Ping Pong grabbed the bowl and greedily slurped up all the water. When he was done, he threw the bowl away. "Merci, Brothers Omi and Clay…I really needed that."

Raimundo walked up. "Good. Now that that's out of the way, I think you said you had something to tell us?"

Ping Pong's eyes widened and he turned to Willow, who had been standing in one spot the whole time. Ping Pong scowled and rushed at Willow, tackling her. The other three monks, shocked, ran to them. Raimundo quickly picked up and held Ping Pong as he continued to swing his fists towards Willow. "Dude, chill! I understand that you're upset about Willow being the fifth monk, but-"

"Willow is evil! One of you she is not! She works for Chase Young! She is le femme brunne! Comprende?!"

"I think the lil' partner needs more water." Clay remarked as he helped Willow up.

"*Yawn* Hey guys…" Everyone turned to see Kimiko walking out still shaking off the sleep.

"Kimiko! You're finally awake!" Raimundo exclaimed.

"Yeah, I am…Hoo, morning already?" She asked, looking at the orange sky.

Rai chuckled. "It's sun _set_ , actually. You've been out for quite a while. Hey, look who's back!" He said, holding Ping Pong out for her to see.

Kimiko rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. "Ping Pong…?" She instantly perked up. "You're alright!"

"I wouldn't say that. He keeps saying that Willow's evil, can you believe that?"

"No, guys, he's right! I saw everything! Willow's working for Chase! She's the dark-haired girl that Ping Pong saw inside the sinkhole!"

"Aw, c'mon, Kimiko, not you too! Willow, tell these two that they're crazy!"

No answer.

"…Willow?" Rai turned to see that Willow was standing still with her head down and her eyes closed. She slowly lifted her head and smiled while still keeping her eyes closed. "Well, it was fun while it lasted…kind of."

"Fun while it-Willow, what are you talking-" Black energy swirled around Willow as her robes became armor, her hair turned blue, and she opened her eyes to reveal them to be reptilian.

"WHAT THE-" Three monks stumbled back at the sight. The new girl began laughing evilly.

"Willow…?" Omi asked, his voice weak. The girl glared at him and hissed, showing a green forked tongue. "Willow doesn't exist! I am _Shadow_ , ruler of the night and partner of the mighty Chase Young!"

Raimundo dropped Ping Pong in shock. "They're telling the truth? You're…a spy?"

Shadow smirked. "You got that right, airhead. Couldn't you tell I was just flirting with you all to get you to like me?"

Raimundo's eyes narrowed. "I'll admit, you _were_ awfully sweet… _too_ sweet. _And_ , that's why you were already so skilled, _and_ how you beat Chase so easily in that Showdown!"

"Well, well, well, guess you _do_ have a brain in there after all." She snickered. "I'd love to stay and chat, but we've already got what we need from here, so ta-ta!" With that, Shadow melted into her namesake and quickly slipped away.

"Whoah nelly…did that really just happen?" Clay asked, still quite thrown for a loop.

"Yes, Clay, it happened. And we all owe someone an apology." Omi turned to Ping Pong. "Ping Pong, I am most sorry for not trusting you before. I should have known you were not the kind to make up excuses."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too, lil' dude." Raimundo said, scratching the back of his head.

"Same here, partner." Clay said, taking off his hat. Ping Pong smiled. "It is alright, my friends. If I were not me, I might not have believed me either."

Kimiko put her hand to her chin. "But what did Will-I mean Shadow mean when she said she already got what she needed?"

Clay scratched his head. "I dunno. She once asked me where the vault was, but it can't be our Wu that she wants; when she won our last Wu for us, she gave it to Omi to put away."

"Gave it to Omi to-" Kimiko gasped. She ran up to Omi. "Omi, take us to the vault!" The short monk turned away. "No can do, Kimiko! My lips are superglued-" Kimiko's body caught on fire and she conjured two large fireballs in her hands. " _ **I wasn't asking.**_ " A large sweatdrop formed on Omi's head as he backed up a few steps. "Right this way, please." He chuckled nervously as he led the others on.

Raimundo was the last one to make it across the pillars. He wiped the sweat off his brow and turned back to look at the room. "Wish I remembered helping to set all this up; we did a great job!" He turned back to the other four who were gathered in front of the door. Omi leapt up and put in the code. "40, 8, 26, 21." Omi said to himself as he pressed the correct keys. The door opened and the five warriors rushed in. All the drawers were open. Raimundo boosted himself up with his wind and looked inside the drawers that normally held the Moonstone Locust and the Golden Tiger Claws. "They're empty," He called down. He flew around some more. "They're all empty!"

Omi gasped in realization. He quickly leapt on the center pad and issued the nine-dot combo. When the platform rose up, it was bare. "The Treasure of the Blind Swordsman is gone too!" He cried.

"How did this happen?" Rai asked as he lowered himself back down. "Omi's the only one who knew the location and the combination!" Omi gulped and turned away. "This is true…but I might have let the combination slip away."

"But Omi," Clay protested. "Yer lips are tighter than Granny Lilly's Sunday dress!"

"This is also true, but Willow convinced me that it would be safer if another monk knew the combination. I allowed her to guess it, and Willow possesses excellent 'guess-the-number' technique."

Raimundo slapped his hand to his forehead. "I can't believe this! It's Dyris all over again!"

"But I never told her the whereabouts of the vault." Omi continued. "How did she…?"

While Omi was confessing, Kimiko spotted a small diamond-shaped object on the ground with a blinking light. She picked it up. "Here's your answer, Omi: a tracking device!" She said, throwing it to him. Raimundo pounded his fist into his palm. "She must have planted it on the Bobopop before she gave it to you!" Omi angrily clenched his fist around the tracking device, crushing it. Suddenly, the gang heard a boom above ground. All five quickly rushed back outside.

Chase was standing outside, along with Shadow and his jungle cat minions. He held up a long object that resembled a magic staff of some sort. It was consisted of a long dark-brown stick with a two-pronged end. The prongs were a dull yellow color covered in large red squares. In-between the prongs was a diamond-shaped emblem that was green with a black slit, like the symbol Chase and Shadow wore on their armor.

"Staff of Ku!" Chase shouted. The red squares on his staff shone green and a burst of green magic shot out from the weapon. It soared at the closed temple doors, causing another boom. Soon, the doors were blasted in and the army of evil walked in. The five warriors ran out to confront them. "Xiaolin Warriors," Chase announced, "You have been worthy adversaries until now, but your time has come!"

Dojo quickly slithered up to them. "Kids, thank goodness you're here! Chase is here and we really need your-hey, Ping Pong! You're back!" Dojo said, wrapping around him like a boa constrictor in a friendly hug. Despite the situation, Ping Pong smiled and petted him. "I missed you too, Dojo." Dojo uncoiled. "Thank goodness you're here, 'cause we need all hands on deck! Now go kick some-hey, where's Willow?"

The monks and Ping Pong exchanged glances and Raimundo pointed to the evil woman by Chase's side. "She's right there. She lied to us, Dojo. She was working for Chase all along." Dojo's jaw dropped.

Shadow chuckled. "I still can't believe how easy it was to fool all of you! By the way, looking for these thingamajigs?" Shadow held up a large bulging burlap sack. Around her were many tigers wearing saddlebags that were also full to the brim.

"Our Wu!" Raimundo clenched his fist. "But why would you steal them all? You don't even _like_ Wu!" He shouted, speaking to Chase.

"I don't. Shen Gong Wu are nothing but crutches. You, on the other hand, seem to get quite a kick out of having them. If I may ask, Raimundo, how confident are you feeling now, I mean _really_?" Raimundo hesitated. He _was_ seriously startled by how easily they were tricked (again) and he and the monks _did_ feel pretty naked without their Wu…but he couldn't let that stop them.

"We'll get our Wu back! Besides, we still have these!" He pulled out his Sword of Lucida, and the other Shoku Warriors brought out their Shoku weapons as they were surrounded by Chase's cats.

Chase chuckled. "Do you really think those matter now? I was always ahead of you, and now everything you know shall disappear, and evil shall take its place."

"Ooh, ooh! Tell them how you did it now!" Jack Spicer said, appearing out of nowhere.

Chase turned toward him. "What?"

"Now that they're doomed and everything, you have to tell them everything you did to win! How can it be a real evil victory if they don't know just how pathetic they are compared to you?"

Chase put his hand to his chin. "...I suppose you have a point. Very well."

"He took my advice! _Sweet_!" Jack quietly said to himself as he fist-pumped.

"Young monks," Chase started, addressing them. "Have you wondered why no Shen Gong Wu revealed themselves for a time?"

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah, kinda. For months, every time we thought we had one, it was just a false alarm."

Chase grinned. "I did that."

"Wait, wha-?" Rai stammered.

"It was difficult, yes, but with Wuya imprisoned in her box again, I was able to cast a hex that would mask Shen Gong Wu sightings, and would allow me to find them myself."

"That's why Dojo couldn't sense anything past a rash! And why you had that Blue Moon Blade before we even knew about it!" Raimundo finished.

" _And_ why my Detecto-Bots have been so buggy!" Jack continued. "…Awesome!"

" _You're_ the reason why I've had those big boil attacks all that time?!" Dojo demanded. "Do you have _any_ idea how that felt every time?! And how did you even do that anyway? It takes some powerful magic to stop me from sensing a Wu."

"Like I said, it wasn't easy, but I used this." Chase held aloft his new weapon.

Dojo's eyes widened. "The Staff of Ku?! I've only read about that one, and it's packin' some _serious_ Heylin power! Wait, if you used that Wu to find the other Wu before me-" Dojo stopped for a moment. "…Then how did you find _that_ Wu before me?"

Chase smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know? Anyway, I used this to find your precious toys while you were left in the dark, but thanks to a certain _worm_ releasing Wuya again and refreshing the Wu's revealing magic, the hex has been broken, and I can't do it again. But it doesn't matter now, because I win." The cats moved in around the monks, who prepared to fight.

"Chase Young!" Chase looked up to see Master Fung standing on top of one of the temple roofs. "If you must fight, fight someone closer to your own level!"

Chase scoffed. "None of you are even _close_ to my level! But I accept…you old has-been." With ease, Chase leapt on top of the roof where Fung was. The two stared at each other.

"How the mighty have fallen." Fung said.

"You know nothing of might." Chase retorted.

The two started going at it on the roof while the Dragons-in-training fought below. Unfortunately, Chase's cats were tough customers even on the monks' best days. Raimundo kicked away a tiger only to be tackled by a panther. A mountain lion and a panther were running circles around Clay, who finally couldn't take it anymore. "Fist of the Iron Bear, Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" The gauntlet turned to its boxing glove-like form and Clay hurled his fist with all his elemental might; unfortunately he missed the cats and punched the building that Chase and Fung were fighting atop of. The whole thing came tumbling down. Chase and Fung leapt off the building, still exchanging blows as they tumbled through the air. They landed a few feet apart from each other. Chase picked up his Staff of Ku and fired bright green energy blasts from it. Fung dodged each one. He leapt at Chase to attack, but Chase held his Staff upright. Without him even saying anything, layers of metal formed in-between the prongs, then down around the whole staff. Fung showered attacks, but they were useless against the staff-turned-shield. Chase quickly moved the shield, and with a fist covered in black Heylin energy, punched Fung and sent him flying into the tree over the pond.

"MASTER FUNG!" Omi, Ping Pong, and Dojo screamed at the same time. Omi and Ping Pong rushed to attack Chase, but they were knocked to the side by a wave of sky-blue light.

"Blue Moon Blade!" Shadow shouted again as she sent more beams from her weapon. The two bald-headed monks dodged the blades and rushed Shadow, but she grabbed Ping Pong (who had gotten to her first), swung him around, and threw him into Omi, knocking out both of them.

"Enough of this foolishness," Chase said, turning reptilian. "It's time to bring down the final curtain." Even though it was nighttime, Chase noticed a shadow come over him. He turned to see the full-sized Dojo.

"I'm the guardian of this temple," he bellowed, sounding more serious than he ever had before. "And _you_ are not welcome in it!" He blew deep orange fire at Chase, but he held up his Staff of Ku again. It fired green energy which Chase combined with his own fire breath, making a surge of blue fire that perfectly countered Dojo's. Eventually, both sentient reptiles ceased. Dojo bared his claws and rushed at Chase, but the evil warrior just ducked and grabbed Dojo's tail as he flew by. Using super Heylin strength, Chase swung Dojo around, throwing him into a row of buildings. Shadow just laughed as he did so.

Chase walked up to the unconscious Omi and Ping Pong and turned to see the other three monks rushing towards him. He picked up Ping Pong first. "Let darkness fall upon Xiaolin." He threw Ping Pong into Kimiko, knocking her down. He then picked up Omi, and looked at him for a little more before throwing him with all his might into Clay, managing to bring down the warrior of Earth. "Rise in an empire…" He dodged a kick from Raimundo and grabbed him by the arms, stopping him. His claws started glowing with black electricity as they dug into Raimundo's arms. The leader grunted, but held firm.

"An empire…of evil." Chase threw Raimundo over his back into Kimiko and Clay, who had just gotten up.

"Now what do we do?" Kimiko asked Rai. He looked at them, then down at Omi and Ping Pong, then back at Chase, who was holding the Staff of Ku, glowing with green power. Rai stood up. "We go underground into the tunnels."

Kimiko and Clay stared in shock. "But Rai, the temple…" Kimiko stammered.

"Chase is gonna…" Clay continued.

Rai cut them off. "There's nothing we can do, except to save ourselves. It's too late for the temple. Now let's get underground."

Kimiko and Clay didn't move, still stunned by their leader's decision, but Rai didn't have time for disobedience.

" _That's an order_!" he yelled.

Kimiko and Clay snapped out of it and grabbed Ping Pong and Omi, respectively. They hurried over to one of the tiles that led into the network of underground tunnels under the temple. Clay pried it open and slipped in with Omi. Kimiko quickly followed, dragging Ping Pong behind her. Rai was last, but stopped before going under completely. He took one last look around as he held the tile above his head. Then, with a grim look on his face, lowered into the tunnel, sliding the tile back in place.

Chase was standing in the middle of the temple, with Shadow next to him, still holding his glowing Heylin Shen Gong Wu. "The reign of Heylin begins now!" Chase slammed the butt of the Staff into the ground, causing the whole thing to spread waves of destruction. Every building flattened, every plant was scorched, and the koi ponds instantly evaporated. Likewise, all the fish and bugs in the area were instantly killed. Jack Spicer, who had been watching the whole thing, let out a girly scream and quickly flew away before he joined them. Dojo, who had recovered, saw what was happening and grabbed Master Fung in his claws before flying up, trusting the kids to take care of themselves. Dojo looked back down to see that the temple looked nothing more than a big green fireball, leaving nothing standing. He watched the vault tower, which had been (somewhat of) a safe house for the Shen Gong Wu for so long topple to the ground. As he flew away, a tear came to his eye.

' _Fifteen hundred years…For fifteen hundred years, I've been that temple's guardian…I was supposed to protect it…Dashi, forgive me…'_

Soon, there was nothing left. Nothing to see and nothing to hear. Except laughter. Evil laughter.

* * *

 **Don't quit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

It wasn't until morning that Omi awoke. He blinked the blurriness out of his eyes until he could make out Raimundo's face.

"Hey guys, look! He's waking up!" Soon Kimiko and Clay's faces also filled Omi's still-blurry vision. The monk of Water got up and rubbed his head. "Ooohh, my very large head…" He suddenly couldn't breathe courtesy of Kimiko. "Oh, Omi! We were so worried! Are you okay?"

"I will be…when you allow me to breathe again…"

"Oh, right, sorry." She said, dropping him. Omi suddenly remembered something. "Ping Pong…"

"Is right here, lil' partner." Clay gestured to the small bald boy, who was still in his scratched-up, raggedy white shirt, blue jacket, jeans, and white shoes. He waved to Omi awkwardly. Omi let out a sigh of relief after seeing he was okay. He looked around his dark surroundings. Where are we?"

"The tunnels under the temple. We've spent all night here, waiting for you two to wake up." Raimundo explained. Omi's eyes widened again. "The temple! Chase and Shadow! What happened!"

The others exchanged glances. "We don't know." Raimundo finally said. "None of us saw what they did to the temple."

Omi suddenly looked very angry. "And you did not consider it was your duty as leader to protect the temple?!"

Rai held up his hands. "Whoah, dude. We were outmatched. You two were unconscious. There was nothing we could do."

Omi continued to seethe. "But the temple-it could be gone now because of _your_ cowardliness!"

"Now, take it easy there, partner," Clay interrupted. He put his arm around Rai's shoulder. "Rai made the right decision. Chase was just too much for us that time."

"And we needed to get you two to safety. Hopefully Dojo's done the same with Master Fung." Kimiko spoke up.

Omi started shaking. "Master Fung! Dojo! The temple! I cannot stand not knowing any longer!" Before the others could stop him, Omi suddenly jumped and flipped, knocking right through the tiles back up to the surface. What he saw almost made his heart stop.

The temple was rubble. Nothing was recognizable. All of it…gone.

"The temple…my home." Omi felt tears come to his eyes as Raimundo put his arms around him. "I grew up here…this is the only home I have ever known…and now, it's gone. All of it…" Omi let Raimundo comfort him as he cried into his friend's black robe.

"Kids!" Came a cry from above. They all looked up. "Dojo!" they all said. The dragon flew down to them, carrying Master Fung in his claws. Omi wiped his eyes. He wouldn't cry in front of his Master.

Dojo put down Master Fung and shrank down. "Young monks, are you all right?" Fung asked.

Raimundo looked back at Omi before speaking. "Yes, Master Fung, we're all okay. We got down in the tunnels before, you know, all this." He gestured to the mess.

Dojo looked around. "The temple…it's gone. I was supposed to protect it." He sniffled.

"And you have, Dojo." Master Fung spoke up. "For more than fifteen hundred years. I am proud of you, and I am sure Dashi is, too." Dojo smiled, then frowned. "What are we gonna do now, Master Fung?"

Raimundo turned to his teammates. "Well gang, looks like we're gonna have to go back to Guan's place-"

"No."

Everyone turned to look at Master Fung. "I'm sorry, what?" Raimundo asked.

"You will not return to Master Monk Guan's temple."

"…Buuuut, where are we gonna stay?"

"My Shoku Warriors, as I have already told you, with your new ranking comes new duties and responsibilities. You have gone on many quests previously, but now comes the most important: your quest for a new temple of your very own."

"A new temple of our own? Um, Fung-meister, I don't think there are full-sized temples just lying around waiting for us to move in." Fung smiled. "You will see in time, Raimundo. You will see."

"Wait, Master Fung," Kimiko interrupted. "You keep saying 'you'. Aren't you coming with us?" The old master slowly shook his head. "You are my students, and I am your teacher, you have learned much from me, but this quest you must accomplish on your own."

"You're…leaving?" Clay asked.

Fung nodded. "You have your own quest to take, and I must go on a long walk."

"Fine time for a stroll, Master Fung." Raimundo commented.

"It is the necessary path for me to take." Fung replied.

Dojo quickly slithered up to Master Fung's head. "No, Master Fung! Don't leave me! I was a wreck when we moved to Guan's, and that was only for three weeks! If you go on this 'long walk', I'll fall apart! Look, it's happening already!" He said as some scales started falling off.

"My loyal Dojo, the temple may be gone, but your duty as its guardian is not. You need to watch over the monks as always." Fung said, putting Dojo down in front of his students. Dojo sniffled. "Yeah, you're right. I've lost the temple, I can't lose the kids, too!" He said, slowly slithering over to them.

"We appreciate the responsibility and everything, Master, but don't you think we're a little in over our heads here?" Raimundo questioned. "With that creepy Shadow chick and that Staff thing, Chase is more powerful than ever, Jack is more _annoying_ than ever, and we don't even have any Shen Gong Wu other than our Shoku weapons!"

Omi's eyes brightened. "Wait! I completely forgot I had it!"

"Forgot you had what, Omi?" Kimiko asked. Omi reached into his robe and pulled out-

"The Cosmic Burlap!" Raimundo exclaimed. "You still have that?"

"Yes, and what's more, I put some of our Wu inside it so…Willow…could train with them."

"Whaddya got, partner?" Clay eagerly asked. Omi reached into the bag and pulled out the Wu one-by-one. "The Orb of Tornami, the Star Hanabi, the Tangle Web Comb, the Lasso Boa Boa, and the Monster Camo Cloak."

"…That ain't much…again." Clay said, his spirits slightly lowered at how few Wu were in that sack.

"But it's a start," Raimundo pointed out. "And we _will_ get the others back…sooner or later."

Master Fung smiled. "Yes, Raimundo, I have full confidence that you will lead your team to victory."

Ping Pong walked up. "Do you really have to go, Master Fung? You have been there for the monks on many adventures and mishaps. Are you sure you must go on this walk?"

"Yes." Fung knelt down to Ping Pong's height. "Sometimes, one must travel the road alone. While other times, one must stay close to those they love and trust." Ping Pong smiled and looked back to the others.

Master Fung smiled and stood up. "Speaking of which, my Shoku Warriors, with Willow actually being affiliated with Chase, it seems you are in need of a new fifth Xiaolin Dragon. Any suggestions? Remember, the decision must be unanimous."

Kimiko guffawed and raised her hand. "Well, I nominate Ping Pong."

Raimundo held up his hand too. "I second that."

Clay did the same. "Count me aboard that wagon."

Everyone looked to Omi, who slowly walked up to Ping Pong. "My friend, being a Xiaolin monk is anything but easy. Evil will be around every street, and with no temple and almost no Shen Gong Wu, we must always remain alert. One mistake could be our last." Omi put his hand on Ping Pong's shoulder. "Knowing this, are you still down for it?"

Ping Pong giggled. "I think you mean 'up for it'." He said, causing Omi to blush. "And yes, I am. After all, I am and always will be your little gecko. With you training me, I will be ready for anything!" Omi smiled. "Interesting speech, Ping Pong, but do not get used to the title of 'little gecko'." Ping Pong looked at him confused.

"Because soon, with my masterful training, you will graduate to 'big lizard!'" Omi held Ping Pong up with one hand before setting him back down. He turned back to Fung. "My vote goes to Ping Pong as well."

Fung nodded. "In that case…" Fung held up two fingers and closed his eyes. Ping Pong started glowing. When the light dimmed, his beat-up street clothes had been traded for his Xiaolin garb. Ping Pong looked himself over with wonder.

"And that's not all…" Master Fung brought out something blue from behind his back. In a flash of green, Ping Pong was staring at a blue Showdown outfit just like the others', which was floating in front of him in an outline of green light. It looked just like Omi's except for what looked like a green visor in the eyehole to replace his glasses during the Showdown; also the emblem in the center was not a wave of water, but a green upright leaf.

"You will wear this whenever you enter a Xiaolin Showdown; after all, you will want to fit in with the others."

"Others?" Ping Pong asked, managing to tear his eyes away from his new outfit. "You mean-"

"Yes. Congratulations Boris Antonio Rolf Jean Pierre Gaulle LeGrand IV. You are now officially a Xiaolin Dragon-in-training, as the Dragon of Wood."

Kimiko elbowed Raimundo. " _Told ya so,_ " she whispered, causing Rai to chuckle.

Suddenly, from out of the rubble came some elderly forms.

"Oh yeah, the other old dudes." Raimundo stated. "I forgot about them."

However, the old monks were carrying something, on two poles like it was the Ark of the Covenant…

"The Treasure of the Blind Swordsman!" Kimiko exclaimed.

Fung smiled. "Chase did not steal _everything_." He said as the old men put the Treasure down.

"But how in tarnation did you get it without the combination or location?" Clay aked.

"Who said I didn't have those?" Fung reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. "I wrote them down before Omi erased my memory. I always figured it would come in handy one day, such as a day when darkness appeared on the horizon. Now, if it is alright with you, I shall take it with me for safekeeping." The chest suddenly let out a flash of light and reappeared around Fung's neck on a chain, severely shrunken.

"It will be safe with you, Master Fung. Will the other elders join you on your long walk?" Omi asked.

"No, Omi. The destruction of this temple is merely the next step in both your journey and mine. For them, however, this is the end of their journey." Before any of the kids could ask what that meant, Fung addressed his fellow elders. "My friends, you have all been very helpful in making decisions and helping me to run this temple. But you know where you must go now." The elders bowed in response. They all lined up on each side of Fung. Again, before any of the young ones could ask any questions, all the elders started glowing with a green light. Suddenly, they were gone, each replaced by what looked like a floating green jar. The jars floated there for a few seconds before zooming into the sky like green shooting stars. Then they were gone.

"Wh-what…what just happened?" Rai stammered. Fung smiled. "The elders have moved on. To where you will all understand in time. As for me, I must be on my way." Omi teared up, then rushed forward and hugged Fung. Dojo quickly followed, then the other four. Fung was so focused on them that he didn't notice Kimiko put something in his pants pocket under his robe. Fung soon cleared his throat, causing everyone to break the hug.

"I am not sure what challenges you might face your journey, young monks," Fung spoke up, "But never forget your most important goals."

"To defeat Chase Young, and the Heylin Empire," Omi said.

"To find a new temple," Raimundo continued.

"To take back our Shen Gong Wu and to secure the new ones," Kimiko continued.

"And helpin' those in trouble wherever we find 'em." Clay finished.

"All while staying true to ourselves and our fellow monks." Ping Pong wrapped up.

Fung nodded again. "Then it seems…we are done here." Fog suddenly appeared and started rolling over Fung. "Do not despair, young ones. We shall meet again soon." The fog completely covered him, and when it disappeared, so did Fung. All the monks gasped.

"He's gone!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"That old man just has trick after trick up his sleeve." Raimundo shook his head.

"So, Brother Omi, it appears we really are on our own now." Ping Pong stated the obvious.

"Indeed, Ping Pong," Omi said. "I wonder what the future holds…"


	5. S1E4: Back on Their Feet

**Well gang, here's my first original episode of XC, just to plug in a few gaps the real show may have missed (and to further my own personal story as well). I hope you all enjoy it, and don't be afraid to review and let me know how I'm doing!**

 **glennchesnaught-Thank you! I'm very proud of that chapter and all the things I tied together in it! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!**

* * *

It was a new day for Xiaolin…if having one of their teammates turn out to be a demoness, having all but a few of their Shen Gong Wu stolen, and having the only sanctuary they had known for years turned to rubble count as a "new day". Oh, and their trusted instructor had just left them on their own to go on a long walk. There was that also. In the meantime, the monks were gathering the last of their supplies before setting out on their new journey.

"Alright, guys," Raimundo started, "Take anything that's important. Don't worry about packing too much; we've got the Cosmic Burlap. Clay, see how much of our food you can salvage."

"You got it, partner." Clay answered with a salute as he checked on the remains of the kitchen. Everyone else went to their flattened dorms to pack their personal possessions.

Kimiko dug through the wreckage that used to be her room. Luckily, she had her cell phone with her, so that was A-OK. Her chargers and adaptors had been fried by the Staff of Ku, but that was okay, because the solar batteries survived and there most likely weren't going to be many outlets where they were going anyway. Kimiko also managed to dig out her portable game system and her laptop, both a little dinged, but otherwise intact. Most of her cosmetics and outfits were okay too, though some of her favorite makeup had been crushed and a few clothes had tears in them. Kimiko let out a breath when she found her diary. Most of her memories of the temple were in that thing, and she was _not_ letting it go anytime soon.

Raimundo got his hands dirty too as he frantically dug through the rubble until he found what he was looking for: Ninja Fred. Raimundo sighed with relief as the only harm that had come to the teddy bear was a little dust. Raimundo quickly hugged his "good luck charm" as he continued looking. Most of the presents he got from his siblings and aunts/uncles had been destroyed and the letters and cards were burnt. Raimundo sighed, but he knew they were just presents (he had gotten tired of them all pretty quickly anyway). Raimundo pulled out his old golden medallion with the swirl on it. He closed his eyes and clutched his fist around it.

Clay found himself thankful that the temple stocked up on so much canned food; most of it was salvageable despite a few cans having dents in them. When he got to his room, the first thing he found on the ground was the photograph of him riding a pig as a tot; the picture that reminded him of the recently-healed connection between him and his little sister Jesse. The glass was cracked, but the picture itself was completely intact. Clay removed it and smiled before tucking it away.

Ping Pong, having been in the temple only a few days before leaving, had little possessions to begin with. The only thing he could really think of was his journal, which he had remembered too late that he had left behind. Luckily, he found it in the wreckage with only a few scratches. Even luckier was that he found an unharmed case of pens on the way. Plus, he was pleasantly surprised to see his street clothes looking good as new and neatly folded in front of his room. He gathered it all up before going back to the others.

Despite having lived in the temple ever since it was constructed a millennium and a half ago, Dojo couldn't think of many things that he could or wanted to take with him. The fake family yo-yo that Chucky Choo gave him was severely burnt, and the string snapped as soon as Dojo tried it out. The dragon just shrugged; he was over that whole thing anyway. He found the preserved bones of his great-great-great-great uncle Tiamat, but decided to leave those behind. The thought of that frozen skeleton sitting in the bag, always watching him…Dojo shuddered. He _did_ decide, though, to bring the family cowboy boots, which were without a scuff. He got depressed, though, when his stuffed doll of Master Fung more or less fell apart in his hands. _Now_ what was he supposed to cuddle at night?! He cheered up, though, when he found the scrapbook he made of him and Master Fung. He decided to leave his dirty toothbrush, and his litterbox was smashed with all the spare bags of litter torn open. Dojo had to watch his step as he slithered away back to the others.

Omi didn't have many personal possessions either, other than the Spear of Guan. Luckily, he knew where the monks' funds were kept, so he fetched all the money the temple had, which was actually quite a lot, though they would probably have to have it converted depending on how far this quest for a new temple was supposed to take them. Omi also went to collect the scrolls from the library, most of which were intact, including the ancient tome regarding females. Omi stared at it for a moment before placing it with the rest. After that, he just decided to walk around. He came to the remains of the gazebo in the courtyard. He dug around for a bit before pulling out a piece of a beam. On it were the names of Willow and Omi crisscrossed. Omi closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he bit back feelings of betrayal. He threw it as high up as he could before pulling out his weapon. "Orb of Torpedo, Ice!" Bursts of water shot out of the Orb, which quickly froze into pointy shards of ice, cutting the chunk of wood to shreds. Omi looked down at the pile of splinters before turning and going back the way he came.

Most of the other monks were gathered around packing their supplies into the Cosmic Burlap. "What about the Heylin Seed? Should we take that?" Kimiko asked.

Raimundo thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, it's best to leave it here. We'll constantly have the Heylin on our backs, and we don't want that seed waiting to fall into their hands. No one'll care enough about these ruins to dig through them anyway." Kimiko nodded in agreement, but neither of them noticed Omi briefly turn toward Raimundo with an angry look. Clay then jogged up. "Rai, the mini dinos have all vamoosed!"

Raimundo' eyebrows shot up. "You sure?"

"Mhmm. The tank's intact, but it was down on its side, and there's no sign of the lil' varmints anywhere!" Raimundo shrugged. "Just as well, I guess. It'll probably be hard enough taking care of _ourselves_ without having to worry about pets too. Is that everything?" The leader asked as the group finished putting their stuff away in the magical bag.

"I think so," Kimiko said.

"I am all packed and ready to go," Ping Pong said cheerfully, causing Omi to quietly grind his teeth.

"Same here." Clay added.

"Omi, how 'bout you?" Rai asked. "You ready to head out?"

"… _Yes_." Omi said just a tad forcefully. "I am ready to beat the street."

"'Hit the road'. Alrightee!" Rai said. The five Xiaolin Dragons walked down the mostly-crumbled steps in front of the temple and stopped outside, staring into the surrounding forest.

"Well, guys, this is it." Rai said, sounding crestfallen.

"We're on our own now." Kimiko added.

"With no place to hang our hats at the end o' the day." Clay stated.

"Yep, until we find this 'new temple', it's just us against the world. You guys reasy?" He looked down to Omi and Ping Pong, the latter nodding enthusiastically while the former just nodded once.

"Okay, here we go, the beginning of a new quest." The leader said as the five started walking. "We gotta keep our eyes out for _anything_."

"Yeah," Kimiko agreed, "I can only imagine what sick thing Chase is doing right now."

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

"Just for a while?"

"No."

"I can find the Wu for you."

"I said NO, Wuya!"

The purple ghost flinched back at the Heylin overlord's annoyed tone.

"I have no need for you anymore. In fact, I was asking myself that question even back when you still had a body." Chase continued as he sat on his throne.

"B-but, I can find the Shen Gong Wu! Can your new blue-haired bombshell do that? What CAN she do anyway?"

"Shadow is a better partner than you ever were!" Chase snapped. "She has powers that stem from my own, she's _loyal_ , and for when I actually _am_ interested in beating those monks to the Shen Gong Wu…" Chase stopped as he held out his finger for a crow to perch on. "I make due just fine on my own." He turned back to Wuya. "Now go fly back to Spicer. He needs you more than I do." He smirked.

"…Fine. But you'll be sorry! You can't keep all those Wu to yourself forever!" Wuya harrumphed as she flew away.

Chase allowed a small smile to come to his face. "Who said anything about keeping them to myself? I might as well put these playthings to _some_ real use." He said to himself.

Meanwhile, the monks had travelled a distance already and were taking a breather in a clearing. Raimundo was discussing with Dojo how to set up camp the best way ("Hey, what do I look like, a park ranger?" Dojo argued), Clay was foraging for food (so as to save their rations for as long as possible), Kimiko was seeing if she could still get Wi-Fi, Omi not having anything else to do was practicing his Kung-Fu stances , and Ping Pong was sitting at the base of a tree writing in his journal.

"These last few hours have certainly been eventful. The temple was destroyed and most of the Shen Gong Wu were stolen by a wolf in Xiaolin clothing. Though there is still _some_ good here. At least everyone made it out unharmed, and I am officially in training as the Dragon of Wood! I cannot wait to see what powers I will develop!" Ping Pong stopped writing for a moment and looked at everyone else, especially the arguing Raimundo and Dojo. "I just hope we can all stay together…"

"Squawk!"

Ping Pong looked into the leaves of the tree. He saw a green parrot sitting on one of the branches. The bird fluttered down to ground level and looked at him.

"Oh, bonjour." Ping Pong said cheerfully. "My name is Boris Antonio Rolf Jean Pierre Gaulle LeGrand IV."

The bird said nothing.

Ping Pong giggled. "But if that's too hard, you can call me 'Ping Pong'."

"Squawk! Ping Pong, Ping Pong!" The parrot repeated.

Ping Pong giggled again. "Yes, that is correct. Now what should I call you?" The newest monk pondered for a bit. "I know! How about Aviaire, or Avi for short?"

"Squawk! Avi, Avi!"

"I am most pleased you like it!"

"Ping Pong, who are you talking to so…cheerfully?"

The yellow-skinned boy turned to the other. "Oh, Brother Omi, allow me to introduce you to-" Ping Pong turned, but the parrot had disappeared. "That is strange. She was just here a second ago."

"You can converse with your make-believe pals later. Dojo is sensing another Wu." The other monks had gathered around Dojo, who was flopping on the ground as he scratched himself. "Hoo boy, this one stings…"

"What do we got, Dojo?" Rai asked.

"We got…" Dojo's eyes widened and he stopped scratching. "That can't be right…" He quickly grabbed the scroll (which had been left alone to everyone's relief) and opened it. "What the heck…?"

"Come on, Dojo, spit it out! I don't want Chase and Shadow stealing _another_ Wu from us!" The leader said impatiently.

"Well, that's just it, this Wu that I'm getting a rash over, it's…"

"Yes?" All five monks said at the same time.

"…the Mantis Flip Coin." Dojo said, turning the scroll to show the section regarding the inert piece of currency.

"Say WHAT?"

* * *

"Say WHAT?"

"It's true, Jack!" Wuya said, her eyes shining like miniature headlights. "The Mantis Flip Coin has revealed itself!"

"Um, Wuya? The Mantis Flip Coin has already revealed itself. Actually, it was like, the first Wu that revealed itself! Maybe you should see a doctor."

"I don't have a body! What use do I have for doctors?!" Wuya demanded. "Besides, I am _not_ mistaken! The Mantis Flip Coin _has_ gone active again, and it's right...actually, it's _right_ …over…there." Wuya turned and let out a small shriek. "Oh! Chase!"

Jack's eyes widened. "Chase…?" He turned to see the Heylin master standing in the doorway. He stood there with a neutral look on his face and in his right hand, he was flipping the Flip Coin up and down again. "Greetings, Spicer."

"H-h-hi, Chase! What a pleasant surprise!"

"I'm sure. I believe clown-face there has informed you of this?" He asked, ceasing the flipping and showing Jack the Coin.

"Y-yeah! Did you do that? How?"

"Child's play for someone who knows how to use the Staff of Ku as well as I do." Chase answered. "I need you to do a favor for me, Spicer."

"Yes! Of course, Chase! I'd do anything for you!" Jack cried getting on his knees.

"I know. I need you to keep this where the monks will find it when they come to retrieve it." Chase dropped the Coin at Jack's feet.

"Sure, Chase! No prob-wait, the monks are coming _here_?!"

"Don't worry yourself, worm. The monks are not nearly as much of a threat as they used to be, even to _you_. You will see soon enough." Chase turned and started walking away before stopping. "By the way, here's something else for you. Don't worry, I haven't reactivated it." Chase threw a piece of cloth onto Jack's face. Jack fumbled for a bit before he got it off. He stared at it. "The Two-Ton Tunic?"

"Yes. You _are_ good with metal, aren't you? Perhaps you could find some use for that. Farewell." Chase said before he left.

Jack looked at the Tunic before looking down at the newly-active Mantis Flip Coin. He looked back at the Tunic again and rubbed his chin in thought.

Dojo touched down near a decrypt old warehouse with several zapping satellites and rods on top.

"You sure the Mantis Flip Coin is here, Dojo?" Rai asked as the five monks got off.

"Sure I'm sure! I don't know what's going on any more than you do, but I'm still sure!" Dojo said as he shrunk down.

"What _is_ this place?" Kimiko asked. "It gives me the creeps." Clay looked around before his hat nearly flew off his head. "And I know why. Look." He pointed to a sign that said, "EVIL LAIR OF JACK SPICER, EVIL BOY GENIUS. NO LOITERING AND NO XIAOLIN LOSERS. Mom, you're welcome to come in, though."

"Looks like Jack's got a new place." Raimundo said, looking the place over. "Gotta admit, I'm proud that he moved out of his parents' basement."

"Yeah, it really shows how much he's growing up." Dojo said, nodding along.

"Um, guys? The Wu?" Kimiko asked, gesturing to the building.

"Oh, yeah, right. Let's move it, monks, and figure out what the heck's going on!" Rai said as the group got past the fence guarding the place. Knowing Jack, they probably just could have walked through the front door, but they decided to slip in through the open stairway into the basement instead.

The monks carefully maneuvered through the basement of Jack's new lair, which they had to admit seemed a lot more like an actual evil genius' lair. The place was like a maze filled with electrified barriers, flamethrowers in the ground, and patrolling Jack-Bots around every corner.

"Gotta admit, Jack's really stepped things up," Rai commented. "This new security might _actually_ stop intruders. Other than us, of course."

Soon the monks walked through an open doorway with a sign reading "STORE ROOM" in big yellow letters. They looked around the huge room in awe. Many of Jack's old inventions and vehicles were there: His personalized snowmobile, His transforming jet/submarine, his patrol buggy, his repaired time machine, diagrams of Chameleon-Bot on the wall, there was even a shrine to the Moler-2000 for its "heroic sacrifice".

"Can you say, 'pack rat'?" Kimiko said as the monks left, practically dragging Ping Pong because he was so fascinated by everything.

They then entered a room filled with conveyor belts coming out of rectangular holes in the walls. Currently the conveyor belts were still.

"Hoo-wee! Wonder what comes outta here." Clay asked himself.

"Let's not wait to find out…" Raimundo cut himself off when he spotted something across the room. "Guys, look!" At the end of the room was a large square metal pillar several yards high. And at the top were thin metal claws holding the Mantis Flip Coin for all to see.

"There's the Mantis Flip Coin! Let's grab it and get out of this creeptastic place!" Raimundo said as he started forward.

"Wait, Rai, this could be a trap-" Kimiko protested.

"Pssh. By Jack? I'm not worr-" Raimundo stopped when one of the tiles he stepped on sank into the ground. Red sirens started wailing. Despite his earlier comment, Raimundo and his followers all took fighting positions, ready for whatever followed. The whir of machinery could be heard as the conveyor belts started up. Identical humanoid robots started rolling out and gathering around the monks. These weren't standard Jack-Bots, but the monks still recognized them.

"Oh, great. Jack's making his own robot cheerleader squad…again." Kimiko grumbled. The Cheerleader-Bots started moving and chanting.

" _Go, Jack, go!_ _Go, Jack, go_ "

" _Beat those monks who are quite slow_ "

 _"_ _Go Jack, go! Go, Jack, go"_

 _"_ _Let the Prince of Darkness shine and glow!"_

"Seriously?" Raimundo asked. "That's the best you can do?"

One of them stepped up. " _Go, Jack_!" She yelled as she threw her pom-pom at Rai, it turning into a fireball. The leader dodged as it exploded behind him. "Apparently not!"

The monks all went to battle, decimating the Cheerleader-Bots. Ping Pong, not being as skilled or powerful as the others, ran screaming from a bot before Omi leapt at its chest, knocking it to pieces. Ping Pong smiled nervously at him before he went back to the battle, unaware that they were being watched.

Kimiko was fighting fire with fire aided by her Kanabi Star and Clay was making an exception to his "don't fight girls" rule with his Fist of the Iron Bear. Raimundo sliced through the bots with his Sword of Lucida. Omi continued to short-circuit the bots with his Orb of Torpedo as he made his way over to the pillar. Finally, he leapt up and grabbed hold of the Coin. Alongside someone else.

"Howdy, Omi."

The Water Warrior's eyes widened. "Willow?!"

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this! Now back to Xialin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The other monks, who had finished off the Cheerleader-Bots, stared in surprise. "How's about lettin' _me_ hold this thing for a bit?" The sultry blonde asked. Omi shook his head. "Nice try, but your days of deception are over, _Shadow_."

The girl smirked. "Just cuz' you know what I really look like doesn't mean I can't look like this every now and again, now does it?"

Omi growled. "It doesn't matter. _Shadow_ , I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"

"Are you sure, Omi? You've already lost so many Wu, why risk losin' two more instead of lettin' go o' just one?"

Omi faltered. "We may be south, but we are not outside! I wager my Orb of Tor…nami." Omi said after another second's hesitation.

Willow smirked again. "Fine, then. I wager my Medusa Brush." She said, holding it aloft. She looked down at the dismembered feminine machines. "The game is 'Cheer-Off'. One of those thingamajigs does some fancy moves and we try to copy it. Whoever does a better job three times wins."

Omi's eyes widened in horror. "You mean I have to participate in _female_ activities?! Oh, how embarrassing!"

Kimiko face-palmed. "There are boys in cheerleader squads all the time, Omi!"

"Just do the Showdown, dude!" Raimundo shouted, his patience equal to Kimiko's.

"Very well," Omi relented. "I accept this *shudder* girly challenge of yours. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

The room expanded and was filled with crisscrossing conveyor belts carrying endless Cheer Bots. Omi and the monks instantly changed into their Showdown outfits, including Ping Pong, who took a moment to marvel at how he looked.

Omi and "Willow" found themselves each holding yellow pom-poms. "Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They both shouted. A platform lowered from the ceiling holding a single Cheer Bot. The robot performed some simple cheer moves. When she was done, it was Omi and Shadow's turn to copy her. Omi, still embarrassed to be holding pom-poms, was uncertain in his moves, allowing the blonde girl to do a better job. Above them was a giant metal sign supporting neon lights that formed the wave crest on Omi's outfit and the purple eyeball normally on Shadow's armor. Below each were three dimmed lights, and one below Shadow's emblem lit up red.

"Come on, Omi, you can do this!" Raimundo cheered.

"Yeah, it's just cheerleading! Get over yourself!" Kimiko added.

"We believe in you, Brother Omi!" Ping Pong added.

Omi tried to collect himself. The Cheer Bot did a longer string of moves, but nothing Omi couldn't handle. As he and Willow did the moves, the blonde said to him, "I'm surprised the others are cheering for you, seeing as how they don't seem to feel sorry for you about the temple."

Omi faltered and bungled the last move, giving Willow, who had once again done it perfectly, another point. Two red lights were now lit up.

Omi tried his best to ignore Shadow's words and pay attention to the Bot, but when the time came for them to do the moves, the double agent spoke again. "I'm just sayin, Raimundo didn't even _try_ to save the temple. And look how cheerful Ping Pong is! It's like your only home being destroyed was _exciting_ for him."

Omi was so struck that he stopped completely, and didn't see Willow kick him as she swung her leg up as part of the cheer. As Omi lay on his side, he looked up to see Shadow's last bulb light up. Three red lights meant that Shadow had won the Showdown.

The room returned to normal, the monks' special outfits disappeared, and Willow was left holding the Mantis Flip Coin, Medusa Brush, and Orb of Tornami while Omi was left with nothing. While his teammates went to help him up, Jack walked into the room.

"Okay, if I make the Bot _super_ skinny so it can fit yet add extra supports into what it does have, then it might just be able to hold…" Jack stopped when he saw everyone in front of him. "…DON'T YOU PEOPLE EVER KNOCK?!"

Willow turned back into Shadow. "Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but good job, girly-boy. Here you go." She said, tossing the Coin to Jack, who caught it with a surprised look. "Um…thanks?"

Shadow turned back to the monks and with a smirk turned back into Willow. "Perhaps we can do this again sometime?" She asked.

"Drop dead, witch." Rai growled.

"Ooh, such strong words from the normally calm and collected leader. Wonder what that means." She sneered. "Farewell." Willow melted into a feminine shadow with evil eyes and slipped away, taking the Medusa Brush and Orb of Tornami with her. The monks all turned to look at Jack.

"…MINE!" He shouted, clutching the Coin and speeding away.

Raimundo sighed and looked back at Omi. "Come on, guys, let's go."

Shadow reentered Chase's lair, holding the two Wu left. "I did what you asked. You should have seen the looks on their faces."

"I'm sure it was very amusing." Chase said, standing in front of his throne with his hands behind his back. "Did you get through to him?"

"Please. That cheeseball was a quivering wreck when I was done." Shadow said, tossing the Orb of Tornami up and down.

Chase smiled. "Good. It's a shame to do this when he had so much potential as my apprentice…" He paused while Shadow hissed. "But no matter. He had a taste of evil, and he chose to go back to good. Now he shall perish like so many others have under me." Chase held out his left hand, showing something in it. "But just to be sure…" The object rose out of his hand and flew away; as it passed above Shadow, she opened her mouth and showed her reptilian tongue. "Don't," Chase said sternly as the object flew out of the room. Shadow folded her arms. "I'm hungry," she pouted.

"You couldn't have eaten that anyway." Chase said, smiling. "Unless you wanted to choke on metal."

"What's that for, anyway?"

"Just to ensure everything's going as planned."

* * *

Dojo landed back at the clearing they had left. Raimundo got off and walked off without a word. Omi disembarked too, looking very down. The others watched concerned as Omi slowly made his way over to Rai. "Raimundo, I am sorry for-"

"It's fine," Rai spat. "We're all still a little shaken. But Omi, you gotta get over the temple, or we'll never get any more Wu."

"Get…over it?" Omi said quietly. "GET OVER IT?!"

Everyone flinched back.

"How can you say that to me? How can you expect me to just forget the destruction of my home? Which, by the way, you did not try to save at _all_!"

"Excuse me?!" Raimundo demanded. "We all tried our best to stop Chase!"

"You mean by hiding in the tunnels like cowards?"

"Brother Omi! Please calm down!" Ping Pong said, running up to him. "We are all sorry about the temple…"

"Are you?!" Omi whirled to face his smaller near-sighted counterpart. "You were only there for a few days! I've lived there my entire life! How can you possibly understand?"

Ping Pong went quiet.

"I will tell you, you _cannot_!" Omi answered his own question. "In fact, you seem almost _happy_ about the temple being destroyed! Is this all just part of the adventure for you? IS IT?"

"Brother Omi…" Ping Pong stammered, holding back tears. "I am just trying to look on the bright side of things…"

"WHAT BRIGHT SIDE?!" Omi screamed, letting his tears run free. He crouched down. "Where is the bright side in _any_ of this?" he said quietly. "The temple, Master Fung…" He looked up at the others. "At least the rest of you have homes and families you can go back to if this quest is too much for you. I have nothing…" Omi curled into a ball and cried.

The others were silent for a few moments as they allowed Omi's words to sink in. Kimiko then slowly walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You're right, Omi. We don't understand."

Omi looked up, surprised.

"Thanks to my father's business, I've moved around quite a bit. I don't even remember the address of where we lived when I was born."

"Same here, Brother Omi. For years, I only stayed at various monasteries during my errands throughout Europe. Until I joined the Lotus Locust Clan, I had no real idea what an actual home or family even _was_." Ping Pong agreed.

"All o' us have fond memories o' that temple and we'll all miss it, but none o' us have the attachment you do, and we ain't gonna pretend we do." Clay spoke up.

"Yeah, dude." Raimundo finally said. "Xiaolin may be our life _now_ , but all the rest of us did have something else first." Omi looked down.

"But like I said," Rai continued, "This is our life now. The rest of us are just as homeless as you are. We'll miss the old temple, but we'll find a new one, okay?" Omi slowly nodded and smiled.

Meanwhile, something was nestled in the trees above them. It was watching them with great interest until it suddenly turned its head to see Avi, the parrot Ping Pong had befriended. The bird let out a squawk and tried to get the thing in her beak. The monks heard the tustling in the tree until the object that the bird had tried to eat dropped out of the tree: it was a giant orange insect. Kimiko let out a small shriek as Raimundo's eyes widened in recognition. He quickly went over to the bug (which had been overturned and was struggling to get up) and picked it up. Immediately, the insect stopped moving and became still.

"Guys, do you know what this is?" Rai asked, looking back up at the tree.

"Some disgusting bug with some sort of tropical disease?" Kimiko volunteered.

The warrior of wind rolled his eyes. "Use your eyes, girl. This is the Manchurian Musca!"

Clay walked over. "Well I'll be a pork chop on a busted barbecue, it is!"

"The Manchurian what?" Ping Pong asked.

"Musca." Omi answered. "It is a Shen Gong Wu that allows its user to transform into a tiny fly so as to snoop on enemies and be a bug on the ceiling."

"'Fly on the wall'." Rai automatically corrected.

"But why would Chase send that thing here?" Kimiko wondered.

"Duh! To spy on us and…" Rai's eyes widened again. "To make sure _this_ was happening!"

"Huh?" Everyone asked.

"Don't you get it, guys? Chase _wants_ us to fall apart like this! He _wants_ us to argue!"

Omi gasped. "That is why Shadow planted all those ideas in my head about you not caring about the temple!"

"Chase wants us to be so busy feeling sorry for ourselves, that we won't be able to stop him from taking over the world. But it won't work!" Rai said determinedly. "'Cause even though we've had a few setbacks, we're not gonna give up! We're all in this together! Right, gang?" He asked, raising his fist.

"Right!" Most of them replied, raising their fists. Omi wiped his eyes and smiled, raising his fist as well.

"Right! As soon as there's a new Wu, we'll show Chase it's gonna take more than a temple to split _us_ up!"

Dojo, who had decided to stay out of the whole thing, suddenly cried out in pain. "I feel a Wu! And judging by the stinging, Chase is activating another old one!" He reached for the scroll and opened it up. "Oh yeah, here's an oldie but a goodie…" He turned the scroll so they could see it. "The Eye of Dashi."

* * *

Chase levitated into the air to hang the pendant in a branch of the charred tree. He lowered and turned to Jack. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes sir, Chase, sir! It's ready, just as you asked! Those Xiaolin Losers won't know what hit 'em!"

"I'm sure." Chase said, rolling his eyes.

"I still don't understand why you're just giving the Shen Gong Wu back to the monks, yet _I_ can't have any!" Wuya grumbled from her position over Jack.

"I'm not _giving_ them back," Chase corrected her, "but if they do manage to take them back, that will only be useful information as to how they are recovering."

"Wow, Chase, you're always the man with the plan, arentcha?" Jack asked in his normal suck-up way.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Chase said, allowing a small devious smile to come to his face.

* * *

 **Don't quit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, Dojo was flying towards the monks' quarry.

"In our haste to get on Dojo, no one has explained to me just what this 'Eye of Dashi' can do." Ping Pong said. Omi, from his position in front of him, opened his mouth to speak, but he was beaten to it.

"It lets the user shoot out a mighty burst of lighting, and it's also handy for when the lights go out." Dojo explained. Omi looked somewhat perturbed, but allowed it to pass. After all, there were _many_ Shen Gong Wu that they were familiar with that Ping Pong wasn't. He would have plenty more opportunities.

"Alright, it should be just down here…Oh, no."

"What's wro-oh, no." Rai echoed Dojo as he looked down. The other monks quickly saw the problem.

Dojo had taken them back to the ruined temple.

"Really?" The leader asked.

"It's here alright," Dojo answered, looking just as uneasy as Rai did.

Dojo landed in the middle of what was once the courtyard in front of a large dead tree, the whole thing charred as black as charcoal, not a single thing "living" about it. Hanging from one of its branches was the Eye of Dashi.

"Hello, young ones."

The monks turned to see Chase and Shadow standing there. "Up for another failure, are we?" The female villain hissed.

The monks took fighting stances. "Not this time." Raimundo growled.

"We'll see. Jack?"

The monks turned to see the evil boy genius hovering above them with his heli-bot and sneering. "Xiaolin Losers, prepare for my toughest creation yet! Tunic-Bot, attack!"

The monks turned to see several Jack-Bots floating down beside Jack. At the front was one of Jack's new Y-visor Bots, with its own head and arms but its chassis consisting of the activated Two-Ton Tunic.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Jack gloated. "It was all my idea."

"Ahem."

" _With_ some helpful input from Chase, of course," Jack added nervously. The monks rushed in all directions to battle their enemies.

Kimiko and Clay rushed the Jack Bots while the other three ran to Chase and Shadow. Raimundo and Omi double-teamed Chase, the Heylin Warrior easily blocking and deflecting their attacks. Ping Pong wasn't doing much better against Shadow.

Kimiko and Clay smashed most of the Jack-Bots with as much difficulty as in the past (as in none at all) until they got to Tunic-Bot. Kimiko blasted fireballs from her Kanabi Star, but they were useless against the metal. Clay swung his Fist of the Iron Bear, but the Bot was just knocked back without being damaged.

Raimundo could see they and Ping Pong were having trouble. He gripped his weapon. "Sword of Lucida, Shoku Astro, Wind!" Rai used his Shoku powers to make three small tornadoes that he sent in different directions: one to deter Chase, one to help Ping Pong with Shadow, and one to blow away Tunic-Bot. During the quick pause in action, Raimundo jumped and leapt up the burnt tree. He made a grab for the Eye of Dashi at the same time Chase did.

"Chase Young, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! My Sword of Lucida against your Sword of the Storm." Raimundo blurted out.

Chase smirked. "If you think you can handle it, sure, why not."

Raimundo suddenly had an idea. "And I also challenge you to a Shen Yi Bu Dare! My Star Hanabi against your Fist of Tebigong."

Chase actually let out a small laugh. "Relying on _two_ trinkets now, are we? As you wish."

"The game is 'King of the Hill'. First one to make it to the top of the hill and plant their flag wins. With some unexpected surprises thrown in, of course, just to make things interesting."

"Very well. As always, I will fight without Shen Gong Wu to show you how it is really done."

Raimundo just rolled his eyes as they simultaneously shouted, "Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

Much of the rubble around them disappeared as Rai and Chase were lifted up on tall thin mountains that formed. There were three altogether: Rai on one, Chase on another, and another much taller one with ramps and footholds leading up to it from the other two. The three mountains were in the middle of a giant stone bowl that sloped up far past and above the mountains. All the non-contestants were on top of the bowl looking down. Those who _were_ contestants found themselves holding metal poles with triangular flags; Rai's being red and Chase's being black.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They both shouted. The goal was obvious: climb up the tallest mountain and place their flag on it. Raimundo stuck his flag in his sash (which was black on his Showdown outfit instead of red) and got to work. Chase put his flag somewhere in his armor and began climbing too. Rai and Chase started climbing the mountain on opposite sides, but soon moved toward the front so that each were visible to the other. Rai could quickly see that Chase had the advantage due to being part lizard so he stopped in his climb to pull out one of his two wagered Wu. "Sword of Lucida!" Rai sent a large burst of wind at Chase, but the evil warlord just held out his hand and used his Heylin power to collect all the wind in his palm and hurl it back at Rai. Rai barely held on as he braced his own attack.

"How pitiful." Chase said as he continued climbing. He was about to reach the top when all the mountains started rumbling. Suddenly, the tallest mountain became shorter and one of the surrounding mountains became taller. Chase and Rai immediately jumped and started climbing that one. Again, just as one of them was about to win, the mountains changed heights again.

Meanwhile, the final remaining Jack-Bot, Tunic-Bot, had chosen not to watch the fight as opposed to try to ram the other Xiaolin Warriors. Said monks were doing the best they could to fend off the Bot and watch Rai at the same time, but the thing was just too indestructible.

"Ugh, they should have called this 'King of the _Moving_ Hill.' How could this get any crazier?" Rai asked himself.

He realized his mistake too late.

Again, they felt rumbling and looked down to see that the bottom of the rocky bowl was covered in green flames just like when Chase had destroyed the temple.

"'King of the _Erupting_ Hill'! Me and my big mouth!" Rai said.

"How are you doing, Raimundo?" Chase asked from just above him, standing perfectly on the vertical surface with just his feet. "Does any of this seem _familiar_ to you?"

"Sh-shut up!" Rai said, trying not to think of how the flames below reminded him of what had been picturing happening above the previous night.

"You've lost your temple and master, now you're about to lose this Showdown. It must be disheartening to have let your entire team down like this. That's why I work with no one unless I control their loyalty." Chase continued.

Rai grumbled as he held on to the mountain. "I have _not_ let them down. You think we've fallen, well we have. But we'll bounce back up, because that's what really counts. _That's_ what makes us Xiaolin Warriors."

Chase allowed himself to smile. "Well said, Raimundo."

"Raimundo is right. We _have_ fallen." Ping Pong noted. "And I should have been more sensitive to that. My apologies, Brother Omi." He said as he turned.

"It is alright, Ping Pong." Omi said, not completely caught up in the moment due to handling Tunic-Bot on his own.

"Allow me!" The small bespectacled monk shouted as he ran toward the robot and leapt above its head. "Piggy Taking Bubble Bath!" He cried as he slammed downwards into the robot's head. Ping Pong crushed it and the circuitry inside, knocking out all the robotics and leaving just him standing there proudly baring the Two-Ton Tunic, that is until he fell down from it being so heavy. After he was quickly helped up, the gang looked back to see the rest of the Showdown.

"Besides, only one of us is gonna fall today." Rai said as he let go of the mountain.

His teammates gasped.

As Rai fell, he held up his right hand. "Sword of Lucida!" He held up his right hand. "Star Hanabi!" Rai used the power of the two Wu to create a swirling fireball that not only knocked Chase down, but caused Rai to fly up. The Xiaolin leader soared up all the way to the top of the tallest mountain, withdrew his red flag, and planted it in the ground.

Chase was falling toward the searing green flames calmly, even managing to fold his arms. "Well said." Chase stated again softly to himself as the scene changed back to normal.

Rai landed in front of his followers holding the Eye of Dashi, Sword of Lucida, Sword of the Storm, Star Hanabi, and Fist of Tebigong; as a bonus, Ping Ping was still wearing the reclaimed Two-Ton Tunic (in its deactivated form now).

"Well well," Chase started. "It seems that once again, I have underestimated your ability to handle leadership, Dragon of Wind." Chase bowed. "Congratulations on an honorable victory. But don't think it'll be so easy next time."

Rai smirked. "Oh no, where's the fun in that?"

Chase gave Raimundo an odd look that seemed to be both bemusement and superiority in one. "Farewell." With that, Chase and Shadow (who had been silent the whole time) disappeared.

"No! Tunic-Bot! He was one of my best ideas yet!" Jack wailed as he cradled the broken pieces of his robot.

"Pull yourself together, you momma's boy!" Wuya spat. "Let's go home."

Jack sniffled and nodded, flying after his ghost while holding his broken robot.

Dojo proudly held out the Cosmic Burlap for Rai and Ping Pong to put the new Wu in. "Not bad, kids. Not bad at all!"

"Thanks, Dojo." Rai grinned.

After Ping Pong had added the Two-Ton Tunic to their growing haul, he heard a squawk behind him. He turned to see the parrot he had met.

"Avi! You fallowed me here?" Ping Pong asked cheerfully.

The bird didn't respond.

"Was that you that helped us reclaim the Manchurian Musca Shen Gong Wu? Merci! You are most welcome to hang with me some more! And don't worry, I will remember your name, Aviaire, just as I hope you will remember my name, Ping Pong!"

"*Squawk!* Boris Antonio Rolf Jean Pierre Gaulle LeGrand IV." Avi chirped before flying off, leaving Ping Pong dumbstruck.

"Yes, congratulations on reclaiming three Shen Gong Wu." Omi said, though he sounded a bit strained.

Raimundo looked confused, then quickly realized what was wrong. "Oh, sorry, Omi. Guess I shoulda asked for him to wager the Orb of Tornami, huh?"

Omi shook his head. "It is alright. I don't even use the Orb of Tornami anymore. The Orb of Torpedo is far more suitable for a warrior of my wondrous power!" He said, tossing it up and down.

The group laughed good-naturedly. True, they had suffered quite a big loss, but they were by no means defeated, because even if the process would be slow, they would reclaim their Shen Gong Wu, and they would find a new temple, no matter what the villains had in mind.

Even when they didn't know what the villains had in mind…

Chase and Shadow reappeared in their lair.

"I can't believe it!" Shadow said as soon as her feet touched the floor of the citadel. "We lost _five_ of those thingymabobs to those monks after we _just_ stole them!"

"Six counting the Mantis Flip Coin you gave Jack." Chase said calmly.

"That was _your_ idea," Shadow defended.

"Because I wanted to give him _some_ small reward for helping with my plan to lower the monks' morale."

"Which didn't work,"

"No, it didn't. But it's just as well. Like Raimundo said, it wouldn't be enjoyable if it was easy."

"Now what do we do?"

Chase walked over to the window which showed the moon in the clear night sky. "We continue to test them of course. See just how much stronger they've gotten and how far we can push them."

"…"

"Don't worry, Shadow. It will all be over with the eclipse."

Shadow turned her head. "Eclipse? What do you mean by that?"

Chase smiled evilly and looked up at the night sky, his eyes turning reptilian at the moon. "In time, Shadow, in time…"


	6. S1E5: Blue Eagles and Golden Bunnies

"And-a 5, 6, 7, 8!"

Dojo started tap-dancing with Master Fung. They were both dressed in fancy suits and tap shoes (well Dojo was wearing his shoes, or rather sandals, around his serpentine body). The two were like yin and yang, each perfectly complementing the other.

"Nicely done, Dojo." Fung complimented. "You should be on 'Dancing with the Stars'."

"Pssh. I don't need that! I'm already dancing with the greatest star of all!" Dojo happily said as they continued dancing. "This is almost as fun as clipping your toenails!"

"Agreed. Now let's bring it home!" Fung said as the duo broke into the final stage of the routine. As they danced, they were surrounded on either side by strange creatures. They looked like rabbits, but were as large as children. They had golden peanut-shaped bodies with arms but no legs or tails. Their faces were happy and cheerful, almost in a cartoonish way.

Dojo stopped to stare at the intruders. "Um, Master Fung, who are these guys?"

"Ah, these are the legendary Golden Bunnies, ancient mythical creatures made of animated gold." Fung explained while never breaking a step. He got too close to Dojo, causing him to step back and bump into one of the Bunnies, knocking the others down like dominos. The Bunnies got up, looked at Dojo angrily, and started to grow and change, becoming much more evil-looking.

Dojo gulped and slid back next to Fung, who had stopped dancing. "I don't suppose saying 'sorry' would do any good?"

"Be cautious," Fung warned, "for if these creatures are agitated, they will transform into evil monstrosities and bring destruction."

The giant evil Bunnies jumped up and slammed on the floor, causing it to crack and causing Dojo and Fung to fall down. Dojo tried to grow and fly, but he couldn't.

"Master Fung!" Dojo looked around, but Fung had disappeared. He looked down to a sea of evil rabbits, and one of them opened its jaws below him.

"MASTER FUUUUUUUUUNG!" Dojo cried as he fell into the golden gullet.

"MASTER FUNG!" Dojo shouted as he awoke. He had been curled around Omi's head, the owner of which had been sleeping upside down, with Ping Pong sleeping upside down on top of _him_. Dojo's shout caused Omi and Ping Pong to awaken and topple over.

"Ugh, what is it?" Raimundo grumbled as he, Kimiko, and Clay got up too. The gang had been sleeping the best they could with their limited supplies.

"Oh, poor Dojo," Kimiko said, picking up the little dragon. "Did you have another nightmare about Master Fung?"

"Not at first," Dojo explained. "I dreamt that me and Puppy Eyes were tap-dancing surrounded by happy, sparkling golden bunnies."

"Yeah, yeah, sounds great." Rai grumbled as he yawned again.

"But then they turned evil, and Master Fung said they were magical or something." Dojo put a claw to his chin. "Come to think of it, I remember reading something like that somewhere…oh, yeah!"

Dojo slithered over to Omi, reached into his robe without warning (causing Omi's eyes to widen) and pulled out the Cosmic Burlap. He reached in and felt around for a bit before finally pulling out the Sacred Book of Omens (the book that had informed the monks about the Bird of Paradise).

Dojo flipped through it. "Aha, here we go! 'Having dreams about the mystical Golden Bunnies (the most common case being tap-dancing with a lost loved one) is a sign to seek out the ancient Golden Bunny talisman.'"

"Talisman?" Ping Pong asked.

"Wait, these bunny things are for real?" Rai asked.

"Yeah, I remember now. I've never seen them personally, but Master Fung's told me all about them." Dojo said. "Apparently there's supposed to be some kind of magical doodad associated with them."

"Yes, Master Fung once told me the Golden Bunny talisman possesses special unknown powers," Omi chimed in.

"And we're supposed to find it?" Rai questioned.

"According to this, yeah." Dojo said as he put the book back in the bag.

"…and how do we do that?"

"I dunno."

Kimiko put a hand to her chin. "Maybe we should ask Master Fung."

Dojo stared at her. "And just how are we supposed to do that?" Kimiko looked at Dojo for a bit before sighing. "Well, you see Dojo, after you used up my minutes calling Master Fung over and over during our stay at Master Monk Guan's, I asked my dad to make personalized cell phones for you and Master Fung. Remember when we all hugged him before he hit the road? I slipped his into his pocket."

Dojo's eyes widened. "Wha…"

"And here's yours." she said, pulling out a phone with a frame that looked like Dojo's head. She handed it to him.

"You're saying that all this time, Puppy Eyes has only been _one phone call away_?!"

Kimiko shrugged. "Pretty much."

Dojo stared at the phone some more before affectionately wrapping around her body. "THANK YOU!"

"Uh…no problem." Dojo then reached up and slapped her. "Ow!"

"And _that's_ for not telling me until now." Dojo said as he booted up the phone. He looked at the screen excited before his snout took on a look of realization. He looked at Kimiko sheepishly. "Heh heh, uh…what's his number?"

Kimiko rubbed the spot on her cheek and grumbled before telling him.

Somewhere far away from the monks, Master Fung was continuing his long walk while wearing a traditional Chinese straw coolie hat. He stopped when he heard a ringing in his pocket. He pulled out his new cell phone (which had a casing that looked like a yellow hut with a res roof) and answered it. "Hello?"

"MASTER FUNG! Hello! How are you, Puppy Eyes? You look great!"

Fung sighed. "Hello to you too, Dojo."

"I can't believe Kimiko actually gave you a cell phone! Now we can talk all the time!"

"I can't believe it either…" Master Fung mumbled.

"Oh, I just missed hearing your voice! You're not making friends with another dragon again, are you?"

Omi couldn't take it anymore and shoved Dojo's face out of the way. "Master Fung! We need your advice! Last night, Dojo had a most unusual dream."

"I know. I had the same one: the Golden Bunnies."

"So Master Fung, what in the blue blazes does it mean?" Clay asked.

"It means that you are about to take the first step in finding your new temple."

"And that means…?!" Rai half-asked, half-demanded.

"In order to discover your new home, you must find a number of keys to unlock it. The Golden Bunny Talisman is the first key."

"So we just gotta find these Bunny things, and scoop up the talisman?" Rai asked.

"I'm afraid even when you find the Bunnies, the Talisman will still be difficult to obtain. And be wary, for if the Bunnies are upset or angered, they will undergo an evil transformation, and the Talisman will continue to evade you.

"So where do we find these things?" Kimiko asked, joining the others.

"You will find them soon enough, young ones…you will find them soon enough. I must continue my journey now, and please tell Dojo to not call me day and night like last time, all right?"

"Will do, Master Fung." Omi said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Thank you. Good-bye for now." Master Fung said as he hung up.

By now, Dojo was feeling a bit like canned tuna as everyone was crowding him to look at the phone he was still holding out. His stretched-out arms returned like elastic, knocking the others out of the way. "No wait, Puppy Eyes! Come back! I wasn't done yet!" Dojo started dialing his number again when Kimiko took back the phone.

"This may be a gift, but I'm still payin' for the minutes; _I_ decide when you can use this thing!"

"Oh, come oooon!" Dojo begged while the others just shook their heads.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jack was in his RV, watching Dojo's dream on a video screen.

"Ha! It worked!" He boasted to Wuya. "I told you that by successfully hooking up the Mind Reader Conch to my sweet tech and hacking into the local satellite, I could spy on the monks and see what they're dreaming about!"

"Yes, yes, very impressive." The ghost replied, embarrassed to admit that she meant it.

"Yeah, I'm totally the first one to do this! And it's all thanks to my best bud Chase, who was kind enough to support his evil BFF by generously giving me these Wu!"

"You mean that box of mostly battle-useless Wu he gave you because you wouldn't stop bugging him about it?"

"Yeah, that! And even better," He held up the Monkey Staff like a kid who had received the most popular toy on TV for Christmas. Wuya just rolled her eyes.

Jack turned back to the screen, which showed the dream at the part where the Golden Bunnies came in. Jack made a face. "Whatever that dragon had before bed last night, remind me to stay away from it."

Wuya's eyes widened and she literally flew through Jack (causing him to cringe) to stare at the screen. "Jack! Do you know what those are?"

"The result of bad cooking?"

"No, you fool! Those are the very real Golden Bunnies, magical creatures made of solid gold!"

"Yeesh, those freaks look like something my cousin Megan would doodle up-" Jack shook his head and his eyes bugged out. "Did you say SOLID GOLD?!"

Wuya grinned evilly. "That's right, my boy. And if Dojo's dreaming about them, no doubt the monks will soon seek them out. If we can follow them-"

"Hello, moolah! I could build the most awesomest army of Jack-Bots EVER! I'm uh, heh heh, kind of in a financial slump right now. I can barely afford my daily munchies! Speaking of which; F-Bot! Snack time!"

As Jack ate the sandwich his robot made him, Wuya suddenly started shaking. "I'm sensing a new Shen Gong Wu!"

"Perfect! Even if I don't get this one, we can follow the monks straight to the jackpot!" Jack grabbed a broom and jumped on top of the driver's seat and started hitting the ceiling. "Hey, you one-eyed freak! Wake up! Time to hit the road, Jack! Hey wait, I'm Jack."

On top of the RV lay Cyclops, who was jostled awake from Jack's banging and yelling. Grumbling like a child at being woken up so early, Cyclops grabbed a harness attached to the RV and started pulling.

"Really, you're struggling?" Wuya asked sarcastically. "We should trade in the snack guy for a working engine."

"I'll trade YOU in before any snack guy," Jack retorted. He went over to a workbench with various bits of machinery and started tinkering. "Besides, this'll give me time to whip up a little something that'll make those monks lead us right to the bunnies without even knowing it!"

"And just what kind of 'something' is that?" Wuya asked.

"The evil genius kind, of course!" Jack cackled as he worked. Wuya just put a ghostly hand to her face as Cyclops towed them toward the new Wu.

* * *

Back with the good guys, Dojo tried to convey with a swelled bloated tongue. "Ah thense the Boo E'er E'el!" He managed to babble out.

"Say what?" Rai asked. Dojo rolled his eyes, grew, scooped up the kids, plopped them on his back, and took to the skies. After a minute, the swelling in his tongue went down.

"I said: I sense the Blue Feather Eagle!" Dojo explained.

"Right. Who's got the scroll?" Rai asked. All the others shrugged.

"Okie-dokie then. Dojo, what's this Eagle thing do?"

"No clue. Don't remember."

Rai slapped a hand to his forehead. "Really, guys?"

"At least I remember what it's called." Dojo defended. "And I know it's hidden somewhere here." Dojo landed at the entrance to what could only be described as a pet graveyard. There were statues and tombstones shaped like animals everywhere.

"Creepy," Kimiko said simply. At the sound of screeching tires, they turned to see Cyclops swing Jack's RV toward them. "Even creepier." Kimiko continued. The RV's cannon opened and shot Jack and several Jack-Bots onto the ground.

"We meet again, Xiaolin Losers! Jack-Bots, attack!"

The bots rushed forward. The monks leapt in to attack, but something was off. The Bots fell apart even before the monks could land a hit. They just fell to pieces then and there. The monks stood there confused while Wuya glowered at Jack.

"This is a new low even for you!" She hissed. Jack chuckled nervously. "Note to self, urry-hay with the oney-may. No more cutbacks on Bot maintenance." Jack's eyes then caught hold of the Shen Gong Wu: It was shaped like a small blue eagle and it was held in the mouth of a cat statue on a high pillar.

"Well at least I'm walkin' out of here with the Wu!" Jack said as he activated his Heli-Bot. He zoomed up to the Blue Feather Eagle, but so did Omi. Naturally, they both grabbed it at the same time.

"Jack Spicer, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! I wager my Monster Camo Cloak against your…do you have _anything_?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, Tennis Ball! Chase _is_ my BFF, after all!" Omi raised an eyebrow. 'Well, more or less. I wager the Jet Bootsu," Jack said, holding them up, not wanting to risk losing the Monkey Staff after he just got it back. "What's the game?"

Omi looked around at the graveyard surrounding them. "The game is, 'Survive the Zombimals.' We must avoid the zombified animals and rescue the Blue Eagle. The first one to grab it wins."

"Z-z-z-zombies?" Jack stammered.

"Jack…" Wuya warned.

"Alright, alright, I accept. _Albeit reluctantly._ " He muttered.

"Let's go, XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!"

The cemetery expanded and became much bigger, filled with many more tombstones and memorials everywhere. The non-contestants were placed in the middle of it within a giant plastic bubble with a large sign on top that read, "QUARANTINED."

"Well, that's a good sign." Kimiko said sarcastically.

Omi and Jack appeared in front of the bubble. "Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They both said, though Omi said it loud and fearlessly while Jack just whimpered it.

Everyone felt a rumbling in the ground as rotting arms sprouted all around them; no, they were paws, claws, hooves, and many other things. The disgusting zombie animals climbed out of the dirt and slowly advanced on the two, Jack (as expected) let out one of his girly screams and jumped into Omi's arms with Omi actually being able to hold him. Omi's eyes furrowed and he dropped Jack. The two looked up from the zombies to see their target. The Blue Feather Eagle had become animated, and was flying above them. Jack briefly forgot his fear to grin wickedly. "Welp, love to stay and be eaten by zombies, Chrome Dome, but I got a Showdown to win! Jet Bootsu!" Jack's Shen Gong Wu activated and he took to the skies. "See ya! Wouldn't wanna be ya!"

Omi grumbled as he was left to deal with the zombies. "Omi, you okay?" Rai asked from behind him.

"Yes, I am fine. They are just unholy machinations of life and death, no big deal." Omi said confidently. "Monster Camo Cloak!" Omi swept the Cloak around his body and vanished from sight. The zombies looked confused as their dinner had vanished. Suddenly, a dog was knocked to pieces, then a cat, then another dog…

Omi's teammates looked on as Omi briefly became visible while kicking the zombimals' hindquarters. The briefly saw him grab a bony boa and use it like a whip to knock the smaller ones like mice and guinea pigs out of the game.

Jack was chasing the Eagle through the skies using the Jet Bootsu. "Come on, come on…" Jack mumbled. "I've had it with chasing stupid birds!"

"Caw!"

Jack looked back to see several deformed parrots, parakeets, and the like flying after him.

Jack let out another non-manly shriek. "I didn't mean you!" Fueled by blind panic, Jack flew faster than before to escape the birds, actually _passing_ the Blue Feather Eagle until he crashed headfirst into a parrot statue. Jack peeled his face from the wall to see the parrot's stone eye, which rotated in its socket from the impact; to Jack it looked like the statue was looking right at him. Jack let out another girly shriek as he jumped back from the statue, and yet another as he fell to the ground.

Omi finished off the last of the zombimals. His teammates cheered before Omi noticed the Eagle, still flying on its own.

"Time to get the Eagle and put these zombies to slumber!"

"To bed." Rai corrected.

"Be gentle with 'im, partner. Don't get too pushy." Clay advised.

"Thank you, Clay. Monster Camo Cloak!" Omi turned invisible and rushed off. He made it to a small mausoleum where the bird had landed. When Omi returned to the visible spectrum, the Eagle flinched and looked like it was about to take off again.

"No no, my friend, it is alright. Omi will not hurt you." Omi said, trying to sound gentle. The Eagle tilted its head.

Jack picked himself up and shook his head. He saw Omi about to win and growled. "Jet Bootsu!" He lifted into the air. "So close, Chrome Dome! But Jack ain't leavin' empty-handed!" He shouted. He looked down at the zombimals gathering under him. "Nya nya, you can't get me!" Jack blew a raspberry before feeling something clamped onto his leg. "Ow!" Jack turned to see what it was. "Seriously? Whose idea was it to have a zombie _giraffe_?"

While Jack tried to free his leg, Omi pulled down his hood and smiled at the Eagle while holding out his hand. The bird hesitated before fluttering onto Omi's arm.

"Ha ha! Victory is mine!" Omi exclaimed as he held up the arm with the Eagle. The cemetery flashed before going back to normal. At first Jack was relieved when the zombie giraffe vanished, but then he saw his Jet Bootsu disappear from his feet, causing him to fall on his face. Omi appeared next to his friends holding the now-inanimate Blue Feather Eagle along with the Monster Camo Cloak and Jet Bootsu.

Jack, still a little dazed, walked up to Omi. "Alright alright, you won. But no hard feelings, right? Here, I made you a little something just to show you that everything's cool." Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a stuffed plushy of Master Fung.

Dojo gasped and snatched it from the evil boy genius' hands. "A stuffed Master Fung! Just like the one that was destroyed! Ooh, can I hold it, Omi? And talk to it? And cuddle it at night after you're all asleep?"

"…I think Dojo needs a therapist." Kimiko commented.

"Dragons are fabled to develop strong emotional connections with their masters." Ping Pong added. "…I read a lot." He said in response to the confused looks he got.

"Um, sure Dojo, knock yourself into tiny pieces." Omi said as he placed the Cloak and the Bootsu inside the Cosmic Burlap.

"You mean 'Knock yourself out'. I WILL!"

Jack had walked away, seemingly in defeat, but as he picked up a few salvageable robot parts, he and Wuya shared an evil look.

Rai held up the Blue Feather Eagle. "This Wu looks like one bad dude. And since NO ONE remembered to bring the scroll…" Rai paused, glaring at the others.

" _You're_ the leader," Kimiko grumbled.

"We'll just have to do this the fun way." He held it out. "Blue Feather Eagle!" The Wu floated into the air and shone a bright flash of light.

When everyone looked, the Eagle had grown into a massive version of its small form. As one might guess from its name, its main coloration was blue, but its wings and tail-feathers were gray near the ends with black tips. Its head feathers were gray with shining sky-blue eyes and a black beak. The feet were gray as well with black talons. One more thing: it was alive.

The giant bird slowly flapped down to the ground and looked down at the monks and dragon. Dojo managed to get his mind off his new doll for just a moment. "Oh yeah, now I remember! The Blue Feather Eagle Shen Gong Wu turns into a giant bird that can take you where you want to go. Sort of like the Silver Manta Ray, except it's alive. My emergency backup, you know?" Dojo slithered over to it, "Hey, Buddy Blue! Long time no see!"

The bird cawed.

Dojo turned to the others. "It's okay, he won't bite. Or…peck."

Raimundo walked up to him. "Um, hey…Buddy Blue. We're looking for the Golden Bunny talisman. Think you can help us?"

The bird looked to the side.

"Buddy Blue knows a lot about ancient magic-y stuff, and can take you anywhere you wanna go, but he has to have an idea of where he's going; he doesn't know everything. Unlike me, of course." Dojo said smugly.

Raimundo turned to the others and shrugged. "Oh well. Let's take this thing for a spin!" He and Dojo climbed aboard the Eagle, and one by one, the others followed.

It was quite a sight, seeing a giant blue eagle soar through the skies with five juveniles and a dragon on its back. Raimundo was in front overseeing where they were going. Dojo was in the back, cuddling his new Fung plushy.

"Bluddy Blue has the speed of need!" Omi cried as he gripped the feathers.

"'The need for speed!' Yeah, baby!" Raimundo shouted, enjoying the thrill ride.

"As great as all this is…" Kimiko stammered, "How are we supposed to track down the Golden Bunnies?"

Raimundo sighed. "Wish I knew. There's gotta be some kinda clue-Wha?" Buddy Blue was flying through a small mountain range, and Raimundo thought he saw something on one of them. The wind flying through his hair felt strange too. Raimundo was about to shrug it off, but then he saw it again up ahead! This time, he could see the figure more clearly. It resembled a human for the most part, except it was much taller, had mottled green skin, sunken red eyes, and was dressed in strange feminine attire with shackles on its wrists.

"Guys, did you see that?"

"See what?" Kimiko asked.

"That monster…thing. There!" The leader cried as the figure once again appeared on a mountain in front of them.

"I don't see nothin'!" Clay said.

"But it's there! And the wind, it feels…weird." The boy pondered. He again saw the figure on a mountain in a different direction. "Buddy Blue! Go that way!"

The Shen Gong Wu complied and started flying in the direction Raimundo instructed, following a ghostly figure that only one of them could see.

* * *

Soon, they had left the mountain range far behind and were somewhere covered in snow.

"Leader Raimundo, I do not doubt your leadership skills, but are you sure you know where you're going?" Ping Pong asked as he rubbed his arms.

"I coulda sworn this is where I was supposed to go…Wait, look!" The gang looked down to see a frozen lake, and in the center atop a pillar was a large building with a big sculpture of a rabbit on top.

"I don't believe it!" Dojo exclaimed, "The Citadel of Bunnies! We made it!"

"Toldja!" Rai said smugly.

"And there are the Golden Bunnies!" Omi said, pointing. Sure enough, dotted around the lake were the metal creatures right out of Dojo's dream, cute and happy and bouncing.

"Why is it in the middle of a frozen lake?" Ping Pong questioned.

"To protect it from outsiders. The whole Bunnies-made-of-gold thing has gotta stay 'hush-hush', you know."

The Blue Feather Eagle landed at the entrance to the citadel and in a flash of blue light, returned to its small lifeless form in Rai's hand. Immediately the door to the building opened and a man dressed in official robes walked out.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?" He asked nervously.

Raimundo walked up. "We're the current generation of Xiaolin Dragons…in training. I'm the leader, Raimundo. And this is Omi, Kimiko, Clay, Ping Pong, and Dojo."

The man calmed down. "Ah, in that case, welcome young monks. I do not know how you found us, but please, allow me to welcome you to the Citadel of the Golden Bunnies."

A few of the happy-go-lucky things were bouncing around them, so Clay tried to pick one up. With difficulty, he succeeded. "Hoo-wee, Floppy-Ears here must weigh as much as mah Great Auntie May after Thanksgivin'!" Even with his strength, the gold creature was too heavy for him to hold and he dropped it on his foot. He just barely refrained from shouting in pain while the Bunny just bounced along, happily unaware.

"Ah, be careful not to disturb the Bunnies," the man warned, "or they will transform into evil monsters and wreak havoc on the world. That is why it is my job to watch over the Bunnies and to ensure they stay calm."

"Keeper of the Bunnies, we have come for the Golden Bunny Talisman. Do you know where we can find it?" Omi asked, getting to the point.

The Keeper put his hands together. "I am afraid the talisman you seek is both easy and impossible to find."

Raimundo face-palmed. "English, please?"

"The Golden Bunny Talisman is in fact one of the Bunnies you see before you." The monks looked at the dozens of Bunnies around and below them.

"But which one is the real McDonald?" Omi questioned.

"Omi means the real McCoy." Raimundo explained.

The Keeper shrugged. "I am afraid I do not have the answer."

"Great…" Raimundo grumbled as the monks pondered how exactly they were going to find this thing. No one noticed one of the eyeballs in the Fung doll Dojo was holding light up red.

Jack watched the camera footage from his RV. He saw all the Bunnies hopping around.

"Yes! We've found 'em! Once I capture these rodents, all that's left is a little liquefication and I'll have the best Jack-Bot army ever!"

"Lagomorphs."

"What?"

"Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents." Katnappe said from her seat next to Tubbimura. "And speaking of these child-friendly freaks, how much of this gold am I getting again?"

"Enough! You'll all get enough!" Jack said. He thrust open the door and walked out. "Now let's score me some moolaaaaahhh!" Jack briefly forgot that they were on a frozen lake and slipped for a bit before falling down. He looked up to see the Golden Bunnies hopping around him. A tear came to his eye. "It's so beautiful," he sniffed, "All these cute creatures…are gonna look _so_ good as lifeless slag! Jack Spicer's Evil Dream Team! BAG THOSE BUNNIES!"

Katnappe, Tubbimura, and Cyclops all leapt into action. Katnappe hissed and intimidated the Bunnies into getting close to the RV. Tubbimura did the same by waving his sword around. Clyclops just picked them up, but their cheerful babyish attitudes spread to him. Jack stopped at hearing the big buffoonish laughter.

"Hey, Eyeball-for-Brains! Less playing, more Bunny-napping! Get those things loaded up!" Clyclops looked sad, but complied and placed the creatures on top of the RV.

Those atop the mountain heard Clyclops' laughter as well and looked down to see the evil wannabe squad nabbing the Bunnies.

"What is happening? Who are those people?" The Keeper anxiously asked.

"It is Jack Spicer, and his evil posse!" Ping Pong exclaimed.

"How in the name o' Lake did they follow us?" Clay pondered.

While Clay's mind wondered, Kimiko's eyes wandered to the plush in the dragon's hands. "I think I have an idea." She yanked the doll from Dojo's arms and before he could protest ripped its head off. Underneath was a thin metal pole supporting not only a camera lens where the doll's eye was, but a large red blinking light at the top of the cranium.

"I shoulda known; Jack's always been a poor sport! We've been stuffed with a tracking device! Again!"

Dojo glared down at the mayhem below. "Of all the disrespectful…" He grumbled.

"Alright, gang! Let's kick evil butt!" Raimundo proclaimed. Just as the first four monks started to head down the mountain, the fifth rushed in front of them. "Stop! If we fight, we will upset the Bunnies and they will turn into monsters!"

"I am afraid the little one with the glasses is correct." The Keeper gravely confirmed.

"But how can we just sit here and twiddle our toes?"

"'Twiddle our thumbs'. Good question…" Raimundo pondered. While the other monks tried to think of a plan, he felt that odd wind again. He turned his head and did a double-take when he saw the female ogre-ish monster from before floating on what looked like a miniature hurricane. The beast glared at him with red eyes and sharp teeth. Raimundo pulled out his Sword of Lucida, ready to fight, but the monster did nothing. She just looked at him, and if Raimundo looked closely, he could see…wisdom? He looked back down at Jack's team rounding up the Bunnies and as he felt the wind flowing around him, he suddenly got an idea. He looked back, but the creature had vanished.

Raimundo shook his head and turned back to the Keeper. "Yo Keeper dude, these Bunnies are solid gold, right?"

"Correct."

"So they don't have lungs?"

The Keeper seemed taken aback by this question. "No, I suppose not. The Bunnies are built to withstand almost anything."

"In that case, I think I have an idea."

"Aw, Raimundo came up with a plan first…I mean what do you have in mind, o great leader?" Omi asked with a nervous smile on his face.

"Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war."

Dojo gasped. "Now _that_ sounded like Master Fung! Very Zen! Now call me 'Poopsy Bear'!"

Raimundo ignored him. "It's simple, my plan is…to do nothing."

Everyone stopped. "…What?" Kimiko asked.

"You heard me; we wait for Jack to load up all the Bunnies."

"…That does not sound like a plan that will lead us to victory." Ping Pong said.

"Don't worry, guys. We're still gonna save the Bunnies." He turned back to the Keeper. "This may sound like an odd thing to ask someone who lives in the middle of nowhere surrounded by something out of a TV show for infants, but you wouldn't happen to have a megaphone we could use, do ya?"

"Of course I have a megaphone," the Keeper said, holding one up. "How else do you think I keep the Bunnies from straying too far past the lake?"

"Sweet." Raimundo grinned.

"Rai, what in tarnation is all this about?" Clay asked.

Raimundo motioned for everyone to huddle in. "Here's what we're gonna do…"

Within a minute, all the Golden Bunnies had been loaded up on the roof of Jack's RV. The boy genius, as well as Katnappe and Tubbimura, were on top as well watching over the Bunnies as Cyclops towed them away.

"Aw, yeah! Taste that sweet cash, baby!" Jack gloated.

"Hello, Beverly Hills…" Katnappe said dreamily.

"All the pudding I can eat…" Tubbimura added just as wistfully.

The monks looked down at them. "Alright, ready Dojo?" Rai asked.

"Ready!" He said, holding the megaphone.

"This thing started with dancing, and it's gonna end with dancing! Hit it, mah dragon!"

Dojo took a deep breath before belting it out loud and proud.

" _And a-5, 6, 7, 8!_

 _Come on Bunnies, move and jump_

 _Get up off, your big gold rump!_

 _Flail about, hop and go_

 _You can do it, dosey-do!_

 _1, 2, 3, 4! 1, 2, 3, 4!_ "

Down below, the Bunnies heard Dojo and with more babyish laughter, started jumping around.

Jack turned to look at the Bunnies annoyed, then back up at the mountain with a smug look on his face. " _That's_ their plan? Making the Bunnies dance?" He put his hands on his cheeks. "Ooh, scary!" He said in a sarcastically-scared tone.

Unbeknownst to him, small cracks were starting to form in the ice below the RV due to the heavy bunnies asserting their weight. Dojo continued to sing.

" _Grab the Bunny right next to you_

 _It's much more fun when you've got two_

 _Don't be shy, we're all real nice_

 _Let's have some fun and BREAK THE ICE!_ "

"Wait, what?" Jack said. He looked down to see that the ice was cracking. He yelped and turned back to the Bunnies, who were now grasping each other's' hands as they jumped. "Hey, you rodents! Stop that!"

"Lagomorphs."

"Shut up!" Jack snapped at Katnappe. The Bunnies weren't listening, making Jack growl. "I said stop it, right NOW!"

The Bunnies stopped and looked at Jack. Their surprised faces turned to angry ones. Their ears became pointier and curved, resembling horns. Their cute, baby-blue eyes turned red. Their blunt back teeth were replaced with many sharp canines. Finally, they all grew several times their size.

Jack and his cronies stared in shock. The giant evil Bunnies all hopped at once and came down on the RV. The vehicle itself didn't break, but the ice had had enough. It cracked and split apart, causing the RV, the Bunnies, and the four wannabe evil doers to fall into the cold water.

"No! My golden future!" Jack cried as he tried to hold on to two of the Bunnies only to get dragged under with them. Wails of mansions and pudding followed as his cronies sank as well.

The monks made it down to the hole in the ice just as a single Golden Bunny bobbed to the surface. It had changed and was now a lifeless statue, in a pose that resembled one of meditation, with its hands together and its eyes closed.

The Bunny floated over to the edge where Raimundo picked it up easily. He tossed it up and down. "This one's not made of gold; it's light as air."

The object started glowing in Rai's hands. The statue shrunk until it was a little bigger an egg. "That must be the real Golden Bunny Talisman!" Omi exclaimed. "I think you're right, Cheeseball." Raimundo smiled. He looked back at the hole. "Now to save the Bunnies. _And Jack too, I guess._ " Clay, do your thing."

The cowboy looked down at the freezing water. "Alright." He slid on the Fist of the Iron Bear, took a deep breath and jumped into the water. With the iron gauntlet on his hand, he quickly swam down to the bottom where Jack and the others were still trying to grab onto the Bunnies (which had also become statues) while not running out of air.

Clay rolled his eyes. "Fist of the Iron Bear, Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" He said, using up the breath he had been holding. He punched the ground, causing cracks that quickly started draining the water. Clay and the villains held on to the petrified Bunnies to avoid being slurped down too.

Up above, the monks quickly ran back to the sloping mountain as the rest of the ice started cracking from the vibration below. Within a minute, the lake had been completely drained into a giant ditch. Shattered pieces of ice were all along the ground, as was Jack's RV and its "cargo".

"Clay! Are you alright?" Kimiko asked as the monks ran up to their friend. Clay spit out some water before answering, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Rai snickered. "Guess it was no problem keeping warm, with all that insulation you got goin' on." Clay glared at Rai.

"Raimundo, I am most pleased with your tiger instinct. You turned our weakness into strength." Omi complimented. Rai just smiled and nodded.

"Little help here, guys?" Kimiko grunted. She was trying to lift one of the frozen Bunnies out of the muddy ground with no luck. "Most fascinating! The Bunnies freeze upon contact with water, preserving themselves." Ping Pong noted.

"Yeah, real interesting." Raimundo groaned as he nearly threw out his back trying to lift one of the giant nuggets. He gave up and walked over to the waterlogged RV, where the villains were still recovering.

"Gotta admit, Spicer, you were pretty close this time. You know, for you." He grinned. "How _did_ you know about the Bunnies anyway?" Rai stopped when he saw some gleaming metal in the mud. Thinking it was another Bunny, he reached down and to his surprise, pulled the object out easily; it was the Mind Reader Conch, which had been washed out of the RV.

"Ah, _this_ is how. Thank you very much." Rai put the Conch in his robe and walked away, leaving Jack to grumble again.

The Keeper walked up as they continued to try and pull the Bunnies out of the mud. "I am most sorry, wise Keeper. The Bunnies are now frozen because of us." Omi said with melancholy.

The man smiled and patted Omi's head. "It is alright, young one. Something tells me that the Bunnies' bright demeanor will return." As the Keeper said this, he looked up at the sun, which had just come out from behind a cloud. As the sunlight moved over the Bunnies, they glittered and suddenly became alive once more, the same happy creatures they were before. They pulled themselves out of the mud and started hopping around, joyful to have something new under their feet instead of ice.

"The Golden Bunnies _are_ magical." Kimiko said.

"Yeah." Raimundo agreed. He held out the miniature talisman. "So, can we keep this?" He asked the Keeper."

"Of course. It _is_ what you came here for, is it not?"

Rai looked at it again. He felt the same mystical wind as when the green monster showed up. It didn't feel bad, on the contrary it made him feel…happy. Joyful, even.

"I guess. But how is this thing supposed to help us?"

"Again with the questions, Raimundo."

Everyone looked up in shock to see a holographic image of Master Fung floating in the air.

"MASTER FUNG!" Dojo shouted, throwing away the decapitated doll.

"Greetings, young ones. I told you we would meet again soon."

"How…?" Kimiko began.

"I am using the power of the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman to project my image to you. Congratulations on finding the first key to discovering your new temple."

"How many keys are we supposed to find, Master Fung?" Omi asked.

"As many as it takes; this is only the beginning. I must resume my journey now, as must you. Good luck, young ones." Master Fung's image faded away.

"Ooooh, I just love how Master Fung always says everything and nothing at the same time." Dojo said.

As everyone looked at the jumping Bunnies, Raimundo looked down at the small figure in his hand. He felt the joy of the Bunnies as the wind picked up around him.


	7. S1E6: Xiaolin Redemption

**OMAC001-Thank you for your encouragement! Even though Xiaolin Chronicles won't be returning to Disney XD, it's currently on Netflix if you have that.**

 **The Devious Angel-Thank you, too! Your comments are much appreciated.**

 **Soluna-I'm glad you're still enjoying the story!**

* * *

It was another day for the currently-homeless Xiaolin Warriors. Omi was meditating (on his head of course), Clay and Kimiko were training in a patch of valley, and Ping Pong was testing his skills by leaping off trees in a nearby wood.

"FIRE! FIRE!" Raimundo suddenly hollered.

Ping Pong and Dojo suddenly found themselves being swept up by Omi. "Do not worry! The Chosen One will save you from great balls of fire!"

Omi dashed past Raimundo, then turned back. "Wait, where is the fire?"

"Nice job, Omi. You made it out pretty quick. I'd say you passed the drill!" Rai said, giving Omi a thumbs-up.

"There…was no fire?" Omi's eyes narrowed. "You lied to me?"

Rai chuckled. "Dude, it was a drill. Just to see if you guys can get out in case there _is_ a fire."

"And you didn't tell us we were doing fire drills now because…?" Kimiko demanded.

Rai shrugged. "Hey, without the Fung-meister, I gotta keep you guys on your toes. It's just one of many decisions we leaders have to make for the sake of our team."

The other monks grumbled.

"*Ahem* Excuse us?"

The monks turned to see two men dressed in official-looking khaki uniforms. One was thin with black hair. The other was stout and had brown hair along with a thick brown mustache.

"Yes?" Rai hesitantly asked.

"Are you the Xiaolin Warriors?" The black-haired man asked.

Rai smiled and nodded. "That's us. I'm the leader here." He walked up to them, offering his hand.

The two men each shook it. "We are members of the _Exército Brasileiro_ , that is, the Brazilian Army, and we have come to inform you that we have recently captured one Salvador Cumo."

Rai's eyes widened. "Salvador Cumo? As in, _the_ Salvador Cumo?"

"The very same." The man said proudly.

The other monks exchanged glances. They couldn't decide whether to just ask or, well there wasn't really any harm…

"Who's Salvador Cumo?" Kimiko asked.

Rai whirled to face the others. "Only the most wanted and feared criminal in all of South America! He's one of the slipperiest and uncatchable men in the entire world!"

"Until today," The man boasted again. "For he has finally been captured."

"No way!" Rai exclaimed.

"Way."

"That's great an' all, partners," Clay interrupted, "but where exactly does that concern us?"

"As your leader just said, Salvador Cumo is very slippery and crafty," The mustached man said, finally speaking up and having a deeper voice. "We may have caught 'im, but there's no telling what tricks he could pull to get away. We, er," The man looked away, "we don't trust ourselves with him."

"You guys, on the other hand, are some of the greatest warriors and fighters around, you know, for kids." The first man spoke again. "If you're not too busy here, would you maybe consider delivering Salvador to jail for us?"

"We'd be honored!" Rai said. "Where are we taking him to?"

"That's just it. There's only one place in the world that can hold someone like Salvador: Lapatraz State Prison."

This time, all the monks exchanged glances. "Never heard of it." Rai finally said.

"Of course you haven't," The second man laughed. "It's the most secret and most secure prison on the planet. No one gets outta there, not like that other place with the lame security."

"Here are the coordinates for the place and the time we expect you to arrive," the first man said, handing a scrap of paper to Rai. "And here is where Salvador is being held." He continued, handing Rai another piece of paper along with a pair of handcuffs complete with key. "You're gonna need those." He mumbled.

"Probably." Rai said, looking at everything.

"Well then, I guess that's it! We'll be waiting at Lapatraz for your arrival! Good luck, Xiaolin Warriors," The man said as he and his associate walked away.

"See you then," Rai called back as he and the others waved good-bye to them. He turned back to the others. "Well gang, looks like we got a mission!"

"Without asking us first." Kimiko mumbled.

Rai shrugged again. "What can I say; leader. I gotta make these choices." He saw all their looks. "Come on, it'll be easy. We take Salvador to this Lapatraz place and that's it! Bada-bing, bada-boom!"

"Fine." Kimiko relented.

"Alright, let's get movin'!" Rai reached into his robe and pulled out a certain Wu. "Blue Feather Eagle!" He tossed it up, and the giant bird Shen Gong Wu grew and flapped back down.

"Hey, buddy," Rai greeted, "think you can take us to these coordinates?" He asked, showing the bird the piece of paper listing Salvador's location. Buddy Blue looked it over and cawed in the affirmative.

"Come on, gang! This criminal ain't gonna deliver himself!" Rai exclaimed as he gleefully jumped on.

The others exchanged glances again before joining him and taking off.

"The way you and those men were going on back there, this Salvador Cumo sounds most dangerous." Ping Pong said as they flew on Buddy Blue.

"Oh yeah, the guy's practically the boogeyman in Rio." Rai confirmed. "Though some of the stories about him are kinda out there. Some say that he's half-man, half-dragon."

Everyone immediately thought of Chase. "Well, you never know…" Kimiko said.

"Well, even if he's not part reptile, he's just as cold-blooded and just as slippery. So Omi, stay away from him."

"Why?" Omi asked in a daring tone.

"Because, you know, you're always too trusting. Salvador has tricked several people into letting him go by making them feel great about themselves."

Omi scoffed. "We do not have to worry about that! I already feel great about myself!"

"Amen to that." Rai mumbled as they flew on.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this! Now back to Xiaolin Chrinicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, in a small town elsewhere, Jack Spicer had set up his own roadside business: a tech support stand. A group of people had already lined up.

"That's right, people, step right up! Five dollars for a normal question, ten dollars for a stupid question."

An elderly man walked up and placed a laptop on the counter. "How come nothing happens when I push the buttons?" He asked, pressing a few keys on the keyboard to prove his point.

"That'll be ten dollars, Gramps."

The senior citizen reluctantly forked over the cash. After he payed, Jack dramatically threw his hands into the air. "Stand back, and witness magic!" When no one was looking, he held down the laptop's power button, restarting the computer.

"The magic of Reboot!" He exclaimed. The old man walked away happy and other people eagerly walked up to have their electronics fixed.

Jack cackled at his success. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before! Who needs those dumb Golden Bunnies anyway, this is way easier!"

"I must admit, you actually make a better business man than a villain!" Wuya said, floating up to him. Jack turned toward her and grinned. "Hey, look who it is, folks! It's our loveable mascot: Haggy the ghost face!"

Wuya glowered. "Why am I still with you, again?"

"Because no one else is willing to put up with you like I can." Jack said as he solved more simple problems with his customer's appliances. "Chase has Shadow, Hannibal's gone AWOL, Katnappe's just in it for the dough, and PandaBubba can't see past Hong Kong! Face it, I'm all you got!"

Wuya suddenly looked thoughtful. "Well, there was Salvador Cumo…"

"Who?"

"Oh, just someone I met during my brief state as a fleshy weakling. You didn't think I was Chase's housekeeper 24/7, did you?"

"Hold on…you _actually_ made some evil friends? You didn't really have a sleepover with him, did you?" He asked, remembering the little fib Wuya said she told Chase so she could accompany him to beat the monks to the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman.

"No, no, of course not. He and I did get along pretty well, though. Maybe one day, if I'm _really_ desperate…"

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere! Where else am I gonna find an ugly mascot for my moneymaking business?"

Wuya sighed. "I wonder where he is now?"

* * *

Soon, the monks reached a remote part of the Amazon jungle. It didn't take too long to find Salvador; after all, a man tied up inside a wooden cage suspended above a river filled with caimans and piranha isn't exactly a common occurrence in the Amazon. Not anymore. The man turned to them. He was a handsome Brazilian fellow with short black hair and a thin handlebar mustache. He wore a white tank top and brown pants with a strange green medallion around his neck.

"You must be the Xiaolin Warriors." The man said. "What took you so long?"

"Well it _did_ take your keepers a while to find us, since we are wanderers without a temple at the moment…" Omi began before being elbowed by Raimundo. "Salvador Cumo. I've heard a lot about you." The younger Brazilian said.

"And I you. I must say, you monks are even more impressive in person than I ever could have imagined."

Omi decided to talk again. "You do not seem so scary for a so-called booger man."

The others face-palmed while Salvador just laughed. "I believe you mean 'boogeyman'. And I'm afraid my reputation may be…somewhat exaggerated."

"Oh? You are saying you are not evil?"

Salvador frowned. "Ah, Omi, you are far too smart to believe that. I know all about you. You are the brilliantly gifted Xiaolin Warrior of Water, trained in the Xiaolin way since infancy. Perhaps even the Chosen One destined to one day defeat the infamous Chase Young."

Omi smiled. "Well I must say, your tiger instinct is quite powerful."

Salvador turned to the only lady present. "You must be Kimiko Tohomiko, Dragon of Fire, and the top female fighter. As adept in battle as nimble in the mind.

Kimiko couldn't help but giggle. "So, you've Googled me."

"Clay Bailey. The cowboy with a golden heart hidden beneath a multitude of muscle. The Dragon of Earth who wallops a fist of iron."

Despite himself, Clay smiled and tipped his hat. "You got me pegged, partner."

"Boris LeGrand IV. Or better known as 'Ping Pong.' The newest addition to the Xiaolin team as the Dragon of Wood. With boundless energy, not to mention potential, out to prove himself."

Ping Pong chuckled nervously.

"And who could forget Dojo, the magical dragon; official guardian of the Xiaolin monks and a source of endless mystical knowledge."

"…Have we met?" Dojo asked, tilting his head but smiling.

Salvador turned to the last face below him. "And last but definitely not least, the strong, brilliant and handsome leader: Raimundo Pedrosa, Dragon of Wind."

"What do you know about me?" Rai dared him.

"You often hide behind the face of a clown, but actually, you may just be the most sensitive and adept warrior of all." Salvador finished.

Raimundo was silent for a moment. "Gotta admit, you do have a way of reading people." He finally said. "But let's focus here, we've got a mission. Let's get Salvador down from there and get movin'."

"Unless," Dojo interrupted, "He's got a few more things to say about me. Sometimes I need to be reminded of just how fascinating I am."

Raimundo raised his eyebrows before slowly smiling. "You know, that cage won't fit on you _or_ the Eagle. We'll have to hoof it, but don't worry, Dojo, you can still help us."

Dojo raised an eyebrow. "How?"

* * *

"*pant, pant* You know, this is no way, to treat a magical, fascinating dragon like me." Dojo complained as he pulled Salvador's cage on a cart.

"No," Omi agreed, "but it is the way to treat a _lazy_ dragon! Now hush, hush!" He called from where he and the others were walking behind them.

"Actually, Omi, it's 'mush'. Though 'hush' works too." Raimundo quipped.

"Oh yeah, I get it, pick on the old guy with the bad hip!" Dojo continued to gripe as they slowly travelled on.

Later that night, the gang had set up a campfire and had all gone to sleep. Raimundo was the only monk awake, poking the fire. He stopped when he heard a musical sound from the cage: Salvador was playing a harmonica.

"Hey Cumo, how about cutting that out so I can get some sleep?"

"Oh come now, Raimundo, why are you so curt with me? After all, we have many similarities."

"What?"

"I have a sixth sense for this sort of thing. I meant it when I said your silly antics are but a mask. Maybe like me, you have buried something in your past, like your childhood, perhaps?"

"So…what was your childhood like?" Raimundo asked, sitting next to Salvador.

"Visiting amusement parks, downhill skiing, beach volleyball and go-kart racing…were things I never got to do. My parents trapped me in a dead-end job as a janitor in a sweatshop. Twenty hours a day in a dark smelly room. One day, I grew tired of it all. Since no one would give me what I wanted, I took it. I started to pilfer, then pillage, then plunder. Like they say, it is a slippery slope."

"Oh…that's too bad."

Salvador shrugged. "It was exciting though, kept me on my toes for one. I have stolen many things over the years; my favorite by far is this." He showed Raimundo the amulet he wore around his neck. It was a smooth green stone with a black slit like a reptilian eye set inside an orange ring. "This is the Jitusara Amulet." Salvador turned it over; on the other side was the image of a lizard's profile. "Or as it's sometimes called: 'The Eye of the Komodo Dragon'. I don't even remember where I swiped it from anymore, but let me tell you…" The man's eyes seemed to light up for a moment. "Having this little beauty has made being a wanted man all worthwhile." Sal looked up at the younger boy's face. "But enough about me, tell me something about you."

Rai looked back at the others, who were all still asleep, before speaking. "Well, between you and me, I didn't have it so peachy as a kid either. My family worked in a circus."

"A circus?" Salvador perked up. "Sounds fun! Were you a trapeze artist, a juggler, perhaps a magician?"

Rai laughed. "No no, my big brothers got all the cool jobs." Rai's smile disappeared as he started walking down memory lane. "When it was time for me to start pitching in, I was a clown. A clown who had to clean up after the animals."

' _Hey, Bobo! The elephant's made another mess; you go clean it up now.'_

"Everyone laughed at poor little Bobo. The kids, the other clowns, even the monkeys thought it was hilarious. The worst part was walking away, and knowing everyone was pointing at you behind your back."

Rai looked up. "It got better as I got older. When I was tall enough, they let me be an acrobat. _Those_ were good times. But I could never get the laughter out of my head…or the smell out of my shoes."

"Sounds rough." Salvador bluntly said. "It's funny, we are much alike, the two of us. We both had messed-up childhoods, both treated unfairly, and if the rumors are true, we both fell to the dark side, at least for a bit." The criminal raised an eyebrow.

Raimundo glared. "Yeah, we did. But unlike you, I realized what was truly important to me before it was too late." _'Geez, that was corny.'_

"Yes, we did turn out very differently, despite our similarities. Perhaps in different circumstances, in different lives, who knows? Maybe we could have both been on one side, good _or_ evil, or dare I say…traded places?"

Rai stood up. "I should get some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow." He turned and started walking back to the others, but stopped when he heard a whistle. He looked back just in time to catch Salvador's harmonica.

"A gift for you…my friend." Was all Salvador said before lying down and closing his eyes.

Rai lay down next to the others and fingered the musical instrument. As much as he hated to admit it, Sal was right, the two of them did have a lot in common. He actually felt _sorry_ for the guy. If only there was a way to let him have all the fun he had missed out on…

Rai was suddenly struck with an idea. He mulled it over for a bit before deciding it was a good one. He wasn't so sure if his followers would feel the same though.

* * *

The next morning, Rai pitched his idea to the others. As expected, they didn't take it very well.

"You want to take Salvador to an amusement park? Are you out of your head, Raimundo?!"

"No, I'm not out of my mind." Raimundo argued.

"The varmint's goin' to prison, not on vacation." Clay said.

"Oui oui, it can be very dangerous giving evil a getaway, for he can be getting away." Ping Pong added, making a walking motion with two fingers to emphasize his point.

"I'm not saying we don't take him to prison! It's just that, he's about to be locked up for the rest of his life. Maybe we should give him one last day to enjoy himself; you know, let him have the childhood he never had."

"You have a good heart, Raimundo; it's your _head_ that messes up." Kimiko said.

"Guys, there's five of us and only one of him, plus he'll be handcuffed to me the whole time!" Rai persisted, holding up the handcuffs the officer had given him.

Kimiko folded her arms. "Is this another one of those 'decisions you have to make as leader'?" she inquired.

Raimundo sighed and slumped. "No it's, well maybe…it's a suggestion. We don't have to do it of you all really think it's a bad idea." The others mumbled amongst themselves. Raimundo looked over at Salvador, who was still asleep, looking almost…peaceful. Raimundo still didn't know why he wanted to do this guy a solid so badly, but he decided to try one more time.

"Besides, it's not just for him," he said. "After everything that's happened, don't you think we all could use some levity too?"

"Raimundo does make a point," Ping Pong spoke up. "A true warrior needs to keep himself relieved of stress, right Brother Omi?"

"Oh! Um, yes, of course, Ping Pong! We should not be afraid to have fun!"

"Alright, I'm in," Kimiko relented before pointing at Rai. "If you're sure you can watch Salvador."

Raimundo held up the handcuffs. "When have I ever been wrong?"

Everyone just stared at him.

"…Okay, bad question. I'll, uh, go tell Salvador the news."

While Raimundo went to wake the sleeping criminal up, Clay whispered to the others, "Hey, I'm all fer a lil' fun, but maybe Rai's fallin' for the tricks _he_ warned us about!"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Kimiko tried to reassure, "Rai knows what he's doing…I hope."

Sure enough, the gang did end up going to an amusement park (with Salvador handcuffed to Raimundo) and everyone had a great time. The two Brazilians rode rollercoasters, tried indoor skiing, and even won a go-kart race together. The other monks and Dojo admittedly enjoyed themselves too.

"Thank you, Raimundo," Salvador said when the day was done. "This day has been truly amazing."

"Sorry we didn't have time to go to the, um, circus." Rai said, looking at the one unmarked box on the checklist of activities Salvador had always wanted to do.

"No problema, Rai. No matter what happens, I'll never forget what you did for me."

"Yeah…no prob…" Rai said, looking away.

Salvador smirked and touched his amulet. "No matter what…" he whispered again.

After all was said and done, the group ended up relishing their holiday in a desert clearing while Salvador was in the branches of a tree, handcuffed to one of them.

"This has been most relaxing. I feel like a wet poodle."

"Wet noodle." Rai corrected Omi.

"Still," Kimiko began, "You're not getting _too_ chummy with Salvador, are you?"

"What? No, of course not!" Rai defended.

"Are you sure, Raimundo? You may have a heart of gold, but Salvador has a tongue of silver!" Ping Pong spoke up. "We shouldn't lower our guard around such a slippery foe!"

"Guys, he can hear you!" Raimundo protested. "Besides, you're worrying too much about our new friend."

"Whoa there, partner!" Clay interrupted. "Salvador ain't no new friend, he's a new evil!"

"Yeah yeah, I know. We'll be dropping him off at the prison by tomorrow." Rai sighed. "Guess we should get back on track."

Suddenly, Dojo coiled up like one of the balloon animals they had seen during the park visit. "I'm thinkin' one more tiny detour! I'm sensing a new Wu!"

Raimundo picked up the scroll. "Okay, go ahead."

"It's the Cannon de Lopez. Good news, it fires a powerful burst of air."

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is where the burst comes from." Dojo didn't need to say any more as the gang watched the image on the scroll. A man picked up the Wu and used it, making a puff of air strike an enemy…from his rear.

"I don't think I'll be using that one." Kimiko quickly said.

Raimundo closed the scroll. "Well gang, let's saddle up."

Omi looked back toward Salvador, who had been watching them intently. His nine dots lit up. "Actually, I think I should go alone."

"Huh?" His teammates said.

"My tiger instinct is bubbling. I am not quite sure; it is like…I am supposed to go alone. Like someone foretold this moment before other previous moments."

Raimundo held up his hands. "Whoa, no need to get creepy-philosophical on us, dude. You wanna go solo, go ahead."

"Thank you. The rest of you, watch Salvador with pencil-sharp focus." Omi reached into his robe. "Blue Feather Eagle!" The bird grew to full size. "Can you take me to the new Shen Gong Wu?" Omi asked. Buddy Blue nodded and after Omi jumped on, took off.

* * *

 **Don't quit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The Eagle took Omi to a desert somewhere. The only physical object visible for miles was an old ship that had been broken into four pieces. The bow was pointing up and placed on top of the bowsprit like a capped candle was the Cannon de Lopez.

"There it is! Victory is mine!" Omi felt someone tap him on the shoulder, but didn't see anyone when he turned around. When he turned back, Jack was standing there. "You're gonna have to get by Monkey Jack first, Cue Ball! Monkey Staff!" Jack turned into a half-monkey and screeched at Omi, who prepared to fight.

"That shouldn't take too long." Omi and Jack turned to see Chase Young standing on a dune.

"Chase Young! You will not take another Shen Gong Wu from the Xiaolin!" Omi kicked Jack and started running toward the broken bow. Jack came at him again, but Omi threw some sand into his face and continued running. Chase leapt at him and the two exchanged blows for a moment before Chase grabbed him and threw him into the sand. To his surprise, Omi just burrowed into it like a worm. A few seconds passed before he heard a muffled voice.

"Orb of Torpedo!"

Chase looked down to see Omi's arms sticking out of the sand clutching the Shoku weapon. "Water!" A burst of water struck Chase and sent him flying. Omi rose out of the sand and continued towards the Wu.

He reached the part of the ship before the beached bow and started climbing it. When he got to the top, Chase was standing there and the two went at it again. While they fought, Jack climbed up the bowsprit. "While you two break a sweat, I'll break your hearts by snatching the Wu!"

Omi briefly fought Chase with one hand to hold out his weapon. "Orb of Torpedo, Water!" A stream of water struck Jack and knocked him off the pole, also making him lose his grip on the Monkey Staff, turning him human again.

Omi and Chase both leapt up to the bowsprit and started climbing, both reaching the top and (of course) grabbing the Wu at the same time.

"Chase Young! I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! I wager my Orb of Torpedo!"

"You know I predicted every word that was going to come out of your mouth just now? But if you insist on playing this silly little game instead of settling this like a true warrior, I suppose I'll humor you. I wager the Emperor Scorpion." Chase held up his arm where the arthropod-shaped Wu was clamped on.

"The game is 'Rock the Pirate Boat'. The first one to knock the other overboard wins!"

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

Omi and Chase held on to the bowsprit as the bow started moving, as did all the parts of the boat. Slowly, the ship pieced itself back together. Waves of magic spread outward from the craft, transforming the endless sand into an endless ocean (with a small raft forming for Jack to stand on). Omi and Chase were set on deck, both poised for battle.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!"

Omi and Chase ran at each other, the two exchanging a few blows before Chase back-flipped and landed on the ship's steering wheel, balancing perfectly. Chase used his feet to move the wheel, rocking the boat. Omi tried to keep his balance, but slid off and over the deck; fortunately he landed on one of the ship's primed cannons. Chase rocked the boat more, not only making it hard for Omi to stay on the cannon, but hard for Jack to stay on his raft due to the waves. Finally, Omi managed to get back on the deck. "Orb of Torpedo!" Omi made a corkscrew of water fly at Chase.

"Emperor Scorpion!" Chase held out his arm and the water suddenly turned away from him, knocking Omi back. "Ugh, how humiliating!" The young monk groaned. Chase leapt down at him with his hand outstretched. "Monkey Catching Monkey Fist!"

"Whale Blowing Bubblegum!" Omi knocked Chase back, only for his rival to jump at him again. "Shark Snatching Pufferfish!" Omi leapt out of the way, leaving Chase's attack to actually break through the wood and send him to the lower deck. Omi stood in place for a bit before suddenly jumping away, an armored fist punching up through the floor where he had just been. Chase leapt out just in time for Omi to do another Shoku Neptune attack. Clutching his Orb, Omi propelled himself into the air surrounded by water and flew at Chase, like a comet made of liquid…

Only for Chase to reach out and grab the Orb of Torpedo, not only stopping Omi completely, but absorbing all the water. Omi was left dangling in Chase's grip holding onto the Orb.

The Heylin Warrior gave an evil smirk. "A noble try, Omi, but ultimately fruitless." Chase's hand suddenly shot back all the water from Omi's attack. The diminutive Dragon-in-training was helpless as he was flung over the side of the ship and collided with Jack on his raft (who had futilely tried to block with the Monkey Staff), knocking them both into the ocean with a splash and bringing the Showdown to an end.

After everything turned back to normal, Chase landed in front of Omi holding the Wu. Omi kept his gaze down, but turned when he heard the Orb of Torpedo land in the sand next to him. He looked up at Chase just in time to catch the Cannon de Lopez. Chase just smirked before turning and walking away.

Omi stood up. "I am most confused. Now you are back to _not_ wanting Shen Gong Wu?"

Chase stopped and turned back. "Omi, Omi, Omi, it's not the Wu I'm interested in, it's those who are." With that, Chase walked over a dune and was out of sight. Omi turned to see Jack creeping up trying to take the Orb. "Cannon de Lopez!" True to Dojo's word, a waft of air shot from Omi's bottom, knocking Jack away. Omi suddenly heard cheering and saw that his teammates had caught up with him on Dojo. While Omi was being congratulated on claiming the gas-related Wu, Salvador (still handcuffed to Rai) looked to see Chase standing in the distance. The warlord looked the criminal over as if scrutinizing him, then turned and left, apparently unsatisfied with what he saw. Salvador glowered before looking down at the Jitusara Amulet and smirking. He looked down at his handcuffed arm and concentrated. A ring of green light formed around his left shoulder.

Raimundo chose then to speak up. "Alright, now that we got the Wu, let's get Salvador to-huh?" Raimundo looked to see Salvador's arm dangling in the cuffs with nothing attached to it. "WAAH!"

Everyone looked in shock to see Salvador standing there with no arm. Suddenly, in a flash of green light, the arm grew back. "Ah, that's better." Salvador said, wiggling his regenerated fingers.

"H-how did you…" Rai stammered.

"Obrigado for the holiday, Raimundo, I knew I could sweet talk you into giving me a little vacay. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to go and evil to do." Salvador's amulet shone green and before the monks' eyes, he changed. His skin turned green, his face elongated, and his hair and clothes disappeared, leaving nothing but his mustache and the amulet. Raimundo couldn't believe it.

Salvador _was_ half-dragon…half- _Komodo_ Dragon.

"I told you this little beauty makes it all worthwhile!" The new anthropomorphic reptile spoke in a much deeper and evil voice. "Adeus!" He leapt into the sand and burrowed away. The monks all ran to the hole, but he was gone.

"I can't believe I let him trick me like that! I was so gullible! Usually, that's Omi's thing!" Raimundo lamented, falling to his knees.

He felt a small hand on his back. "It is alright, Raimundo," Omi said, "Everyone makes mistakes…but this time it is you! Again!" Omi fell on his back laughing at the "great leader's" failure.

"Omi…" Kimiko began.

Raimundo stood up. "No, guys, he's right. You were all right. I shouldn't have let that snake trick me. A real leader doesn't screw up like that. Well I'm gonna fix it. Salvador's my responsibility, and it's my job to find him and deliver him to Lapatraz on time."

"Well yeah, but how we gon' find him? That varmint's long gone by now." Clay spoke up.

"I'm working on that part." Raimundo said as he unlocked the handcuffs with the severed arm still dangling from them. "Where would Salvador go?"

"Back to the jungle?" Kimiko proposed.

"Maybe we should check the amusement park again." Clay said.

"No, Cumo would know we'd go to those places!" Rai insisted.

"Well I don't see _you_ making any suggestions, Mr. High-and-Mighty-I'm-so-Smart-Leader!" The Dragon of Fire snapped.

"At least _I'm_ thinking logically!" The Dragon of Wind retorted.

While Raimundo, Kimiko, Clay, and even Ping Pong argued over where Salvador might be hiding, Omi was left standing in the sand. He sighed. Then his ears picked up something most unusual for the desert...running water. The Shoku Warrior looked down to see a small trickle coming from a spot in the sand and flowing over a dune. Omi looked back at the others before travelling over the dune; when he got to the other side, he stopped.

The small stream ended in front of some sort of monster. It was tall and human-ish with green skin, red eyes, and a dress of some sort.

Omi immediately brought out his Shoku weapon. "Come no closer, you fearsome beast! I am a Shoku Warrior! I eat creatures like you for dinner!"

Back on the other side of the dune, the still-arguing Raimundo suddenly felt the need to say "breakfast" for some reason.

The monster said nothing and gestured to the water below it. Still keeping his Orb ready, Omi followed her gaze to see something being carried by the current towards him (odd, as the water had been flowing away from him previously). Omi picked it up as it went past: it was the checklist for Raimundo and Salvador's holiday.

"Why have you given me-" Omi looked up to see that the monster and the water had vanished. Confused, he looked over the list while heading back over the dune where his friends were still arguing. Omi looked at the list, showing all the events Raimundo and Salvador had done: skiing, surfing, go-kart racing, the circus even though that box was empty-

 _Ding_.

"Everyone-" Omi began, but no one heard him. "My friends-" Still no response. Omi took on an annoyed look. "Orb of Torpedo." A small burst of water shot into the air and splashed down onto the others.

"Ack!" Everyone sputtered. "What is it, Omi?" Raimundo asked once he had gotten over it.

"I think I know where to find our not-so-friendly friend!" Omi showed them the unmarked box.

"…" Raimundo stared at it before looking back at the others. He sighed. "It's worth a look. Come on, gang." The leader was interrupted by Salvador's severed arm suddenly coming to life and clinging to his face. Rai shouted and ran around for a bit trying to get it off before Omi pulled out a Wu. "Eye of Dashi!"

ZAAAT!

The arm had been blown up into green goop, but not only was Raimundo's face covered in it, his skin and hair were charred from the lighting blast.

"…Let's go."

* * *

Soon, the monks had arrived at the closest circus and were taking in the sights. At least, all but Raimundo, who was looking for Salvador like a hawk looks for a mouse.

"Hey, Dodo!"

Raimundo turned toward the voice and saw a young boy dressed like a clown holding a pooper scooper.

"The elephant's made another mess; you go clean it up now."

Rai watched the boy do his job for a moment before smiling and heading off to one of the stands.

The boy continued to clean the elephant's mess when he suddenly stepped in some of it. Fairgoers walking by started laughing and pointing at him. Suddenly, a strong wind come out of nowhere and knocked some people off their feet. The boy looked confused.

"Hey, kid!"

The boy looked to see Raimundo holding a stick of cotton candy. He leaned down to eye level.

"Look, buddy, I've been here. It may seem like your life is over now, but it won't last forever. You've got a bright future, trust me." He said, handing the surprised child the cotton candy. "Hang in there, Dodo."

Rai turned to see Kimiko with her arms folded and a smile on her lips. Raimundo rolled his eyes. "Let's go. Cumo's probably inside."

Soon, the monks walked into the big-top where the act was already underway.

"There he is!" Ping Pong exclaimed in a hushed voice. The other monks looked to see Salvador back in his human form on the bleachers, eating some cotton candy.

The criminal felt a shadow come over him, turned and actually looked surprised. "I thought I was rid of you guys."

"Your little game's over, Salvador." Raimundo said, holding up the handcuffs. "You're coming back with us, now."

The man chuckled. "Oh, Raimundo, don't you get it? This _is_ a game for me. When those bumbling officers mentioned the Xiaolin Warriors, I allowed myself to get captured so I could meet you all, and perhaps convince you to let me have a little extra fun before I continue on my merry way."

"So you lied about your childhood?" Raimundo asked, his voice at a dangerous tone.

"Oh no, no, everything I said was true, I _did_ have it rough trying to make an honest living, which makes making a dishonest one so fun. But if you insist on being a bunch of desmancha-prazeres…" Salvador crouched and leapt into the ring, knocking some clowns out of the way, then turned and changed into an anthropomorphic Komodo dragon again. "…then I've been itching for a good fight! Bring it on, goody-goods!"

The Xiaolin all leapt into the ring and took fighting poses. Ping Pong made the first move, rushing Salvador, but he just wacked the new Dragon of Wood away with his tail. Omi went next, but Salvador just blocked his moves before giving him a tail whip too. Clay went next, charging like a bull, but Salvador wrapped his tail around the cowboy's neck, spun him around, and threw him on top of the dazed Omi and Ping Pong, flattening them. The audience whooped and hollered, thinking (of course) that it was all part of the show.

Raimundo and Kimiko took him on together, but Sal actually managed to hold off both of them; blocking all their attacks with his arms, legs, and tail alike. Soon, he grabbed hold of Raimundo with his hand and Kimiko with his tail and clunked their heads together. The reptile then scampered over to the circus cannon, which the stuntman was cowering behind. Salvador went up to him, took off his helmet, put it on, and shoved the man away before crawling into the cannon.

The Xiaolin Warriors, who had just picked themselves up again, saw the cannon aim towards them.

"Is he _crazy_?!" Kimiko yelled.

"Do I have to answer that?!" Raimundo retorted. He readied his Shoku weapon.

Salvador shot out of the cannon at high speed, but not high enough to counter Raimundo's Shoku Astro. The super strong breeze hurled Salvador up into the air (and removed the helmet from his head) where he just managed to cling onto a tightrope. Raimundo sent more wind at him, but the rope and the lizard held steady. Their quarry blew a raspberry at them with his forked tongue.

"Come on, come on…" Raimundo said as he continued to try and blow Salvador off the rope. Kimiko put her hand on his shoulder. "Rai, that's not working! Let's think of a new plan!"

"No! Salvador's my responsibility…I'm leader…I can't screw up again…"

"You did screw up, by yourself! But you don't have to fix it by yourself!"

"Wha…" Rai asked, pausing in his wind that had begun to ruffle the hair of everyone in the tent.

"Yes you're leader, yes you have to make some big decisions, and yes you're gonna make some mistakes! But that's okay, because we're still a team! A team helps each other out and balances out each other's shortcomings! You don't have to do everything yourself, Rai, you can always ask for our help because we'll always be happy to give it! You're not just our leader, you're our friend."

Rai slowly smiled. "Thanks, Kimiko. I didn't realize how much I really needed to hear that." Kimiko returned his smile.

Rai looked back up at the perched criminal. "Now let's see, Wind isn't working and Fire and Earth are too dangerous. Hm…" Rai looked at Omi. "How about a team up, Cheeseball?" Omi grinned. The two Shoku Warriors took positions underneath Salvador.

"Shoku Astro, Wind!"

"Shoku Neptune, Water!"

The two elemental attacks combined and created a spinning cyclone of water that struck Salvador head-on. The criminal couldn't hold on and was thrown about with a cry. He landed in front of the monks with a splash.

Omi walked up to the dazed outlaw. "First, I'll take that." He reached out and yanked the Jitusara Amulet off Salvador's neck. Without the magic artifact, the villain reverted to normal. He slowly stood up.

"And second…" Omi thrust his hands out. "Shoku Neptune, Ice!" A bright-blue blast of slush shot out of his hands and Salvador could barely do so much as make a sound before he was frozen solid.

The audience broke into a wild round of applause as the Xiaolin Warriors all bowed.

"Funny how things like this always just become part of the show." Kimiko said to Rai.

"Hey, I'm not complaining." He answered back as he waved at their new fans.

* * *

Later, after skedaddling before those in charge of the circus could start asking questions, they finally brought Salvador to Lapatraz State Prison. The villain had completely defrosted, but Raimundo had handcuffed both his hands, and without his amulet, he had no chance of escaping. The two men that had given them their job in the first place were waiting at the doors.

"Ah, right on time, Xiaolin Warriors." The black-haired man said, greeting them. "He wasn't too much trouble, I hope."

"No way."

"M-mm."

"Not at all, partners."

"Non."

"Raimundo almost let him get away."

Everyone glared at Omi for a second before Raimundo started walking Salvador to the door.

"You know, the rollercoasters were great, but I've always wanted to visit a water park. Whaddya say, one more stop?"

"Sure, why not?" A second later, Raimundo pointed at Salvador. "NOT! You're so gullible."

The criminal no longer on the loose grumbled before the two security men took hold of him. They got a few steps when they heard a whistle. Sal turned back around just in time to catch his own harmonica.

"I only accept gifts from my friends." Raimundo stated.

Salvador smirked. "Well if you miss me, you know where to find me. And Omi…"

The second-smallest monk looked up.

"Keep that amulet safe, kid." These were Salvador's last words before Lapatraz's doors closed.

Raimundo turned back toward his followers. "Well guys, we did it."

"Barely." Kimiko finished.

"Funny, I accepted this mission because I wasn't including you guys in my decision-making. But I'm glad I did that, because now I've _learned_ my lesson about not including you guys."

"So no more outta nowhere fire alarms?" Clay asked.

Rai shook his head. "No more. And Omi, thanks. I wouldn't have been able to catch Salvador without you."

"Naturally." Omi said before holding up the Eye of the Komodo Dragon. "What about this?"

Raimundo looked away and shook his hands in a refusing gesture. "Keep it. After all this, I don't wanna see anything related to Salvador Cumo ever again."

"Agreed." Kimiko concurred.

Omi ran his hand over the smooth stone. He felt a sort of tranquil feeling like when he was meditating. The image of the giant green monster that had given him Salvador's location came back into his head for some reason. He put the artifact in his pocket, deciding to hold on to it for now.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I need a holiday from our holiday!" Raimundo said as he climbed back on Dojo.

"You said it!" The others agreed as they followed.

As the dragon soared into the sky, neither he nor his passengers noticed the small purple form that had been watching them from behind a rock.

Wuya looked back towards the prison. "One day…" She murmured.


	8. S1E7: Out of Ping Pong's Mind

**OMAC001-No problem! Just doing my job! Hopefully I didn't make you wait too long for the next episode!**

* * *

Omi and Ping Pong were in a large forest by themselves, not far away from where the monks had set up camp. Omi had taken his protégé there for a very special training session. The two were kneeling on the ground and watched as two praying mantises below them started fighting. The two insects exchanged blows with their massive forelegs.

"The Praying Mantis Strike is a most important Tai Chi maneuver to master. Notice how the praying mantis attacks: swiftly, but smartly." Omi lectured. "He looks for an opportunity and takes it."

"A most special way of training, Brother Omi." Ping Pong happily said. "It must take skill to think on one's feet like that."

"That is when your tiger instinct begins bubbling." Omi answered, his dots slighting up.

Suddenly, a much larger praying mantis walked up to the other two and started beating them easily. The other two tried to fight back, but the big one just beat them some more.

"Non! That is bullying!" Ping Pong exclaimed.

"Indeed. A most disrespectful use of the sacred Praying Mantis Strike! Little Gecko, it is time to confront the bullies." Omi held out the Manchurian Musca Shen Gong Wu. He and Ping Pong put their hands on it. Omi called out its name and he and Ping Pong were transformed into tiny half-flies. The two flew at the large praying mantis and kicked it. The insect reared up angrily.

"Little Gecko, follow my lead; Praying Mantis Striking Bully!" Omi flew at their adversary again and swiped his arm in a wide arc, catching the bug on the side of its face. Ping Pong called out the attack too and did the same to the other side of its face. The two circled around and flew at its stomach.

"Praying Mantis Striking Bully!" The two attacked at the same time and the bully bug was knocked onto its back, helpless to get up.

Omi and Ping Pong cheered in victory before flying off.

"With one hundred times the eyes, the forest looks one hundred times as amazing!" Ping Pong exclaimed, fascinated by his new insect vision.

"Indeed. And with these eyes, nothing will be able to get past-" Omi crashed headfirst into a tree trunk. He looked up and his compound eyes widened. Perched on the trunk staring down at him was the most terrifying thing imaginable.

"AAH! EVIL FEARSOME SQUIRREL!" Omi screamed. The animal just looked at him innocently. Omi sat there quivering until Ping Pong grabbed his hand and flew away.

Omi wiped the sweat from his brow and looked back at Ping Pong sheepishly. "Sorry you had to see that, Little Gecko."

"It is alright, brother Omi. Nothing more will escape our detection-" It was Ping Pong's turn to be proven wrong when the monks of Water and Wood got stuck in a spider web. Ping Pong screamed in terror when the (to them) giant spider crawled down looking to suck out their fluids. It walked up to Ping Pong first, who just gulped nervously.

"Manchurian Musca!"

Ping Pong suddenly found himself human again, the web set on his round bald head like a hairnet. He felt the tiny spider crawl down his face before he shuddered and flicked it off, followed by clearing off the web. "Merci, Brother Omi."

"It was nothing, Ping Pong. Squirrels are far more dangerous than spiders, and are not nearly as cute!"

Ping Pong shuddered. "There is only one thing that scares me more than spiders."

"And that is?"

"Um…I cannot say. I do not want you to think less of me."

"Think less of you? Why would I do that?" Omi asked, tilting his head.

"Well, you and the others have completely mastered control over your Xiaolin Elements. Whereas I have not even begun to master my Wood element. Watch!" Ping Pong turned to a tree branch and closed his eyes while reaching up towards it. "Wood!" He shouted. The branch didn't move or do anything. Ping Pong turned back to Omi. "Is something wrong with my tiger instinct? Why is it not bubbling?"

Omi patted his protégé on the head. "Your tiger instinct will bubble when it is time to bubble, my friend. Now let us head back to the others."

"I am most grateful for the training, Omi _sifu_." Ping Pong bowed. Omi grinned at the respectful title.

* * *

Later, Omi was nearing the end of his chores (Yes, the monks still had chores despite not having a house anymore). The last thing on his list was scrubbing Dojo's back. "You know, Dojo, are you not capable of doing this by yourself?"

"I'm still not really used to modern personal hygiene. Why do you think I still use a litterbox?"

"Regardless, I am a Xiaolin monk, not an Asian moose!"

"'Masseuse.' And ex-cuuuse me. Next time, I'll scrub your rash that comes from constantly detecting Shen Gong Wu!" The dragon snapped. He then sighed. "Master Fung did it so much better…"

"There, finished!" Omi said at last. "Now to check in on Ping Pong's training. I must make sure he is practicing the Praying Mantis Strike!" Omi rushed off to find his Little Gecko. When he got to the next part of the mountaintop they were currently staying on, he saw three sticks planted into the ground with marshmallows from their packaged food supply planted on them. A fireball suddenly came flying out of nowhere and hit the marshmallow on the left, roasting it nicely.

Omi looked to see Kimiko and Ping Pong standing there. "Just focus and aim. That's all there is to it." Kimiko said. "Fire!" She shot another fireball from her hand which roasted the marshmallow on the right, leaving just one more in the middle.

"Let me try!" Ping Pong said. He thrust out his hand, which was holding something. "Star Hanabi!" A fireball blasted from the star-shaped Wu like a cannon; it hit the stick with the marshmallow on it and snapped it in half. Meanwhile, Ping Pong was knocked back from the blast.

Kimiko giggled. "Might want to work on your aim a little."

Ping Pong stood up and dusted himself off. "Merci beaucoup, Kimiko _sifu_." He said, bowing.

"But…I am Ping Pong's _sifu_." Omi said to himself.

Raimundo came running up. "Hey, little dude! Ready for your lesson?"

"Most definitely!"

"Alright, watch closely. Wind!" Rai made a circle of wind underneath him which he rode through the air. As he passed over Ping Pong, he dropped something down to him. "Remember, it's all about balance!"

Ping Pong took on a determined look. "Sword of the Storm!" He spun the sword-shaped Wu in his hand like a fan, generating a breeze. He held it above his head like a helicopter blade, making him shoot up into the sky. Ping Pong managed to control his direction in the air for a bit before landing back down. Before Raimundo or Kimiko could say anything else, Ping Pong rushed at the two marshmallow sticks that were still standing. He swung his sword at the stick, only to be unpleasantly surprised when his attack didn't seem to do anything. Ping Pong swung the sword like crazy, but every time it just passed through the wood like it wasn't even there. The little monk only stopped when Raimundo put his hand on his shoulder.

"Woah there, little dude. That's the other thing about the Sword of the Storm. It _looks_ like a sword, but it sure doesn't act like one."

Ping Pong bowed. "My apologies. I still have much to learn, Raimundo _sifu_."

"Raimundo too?!" Omi exclaimed.

Clay walked up. "My turn to take the lil' hombre." Clay led Ping Pong over to a large rock which a mountain goat was perched atop of eating from a tree. Clay threw Ping Pong the Fist of Tebigong. "Now don't be afraid to throw yer weight around, even if ya'll don't have much to throw." Clay cracked his knuckles then with a cry of "Earth!" punched the ground. A crack formed in the ground and went to the rock, splitting it in half and scaring the goat away. Ping Pong bowed to Clay before walking up. He looked to a small rock with a butterfly sitting on it. "Fist of Tebigong!" Ping Pong punched the ground and a tiny crack formed. When it got to the rock, it barely moved it, and the butterfly just fluttered up for a second before settling back where it had been.

All three Shoku Warriors gathered around the bald monk. "Great job, Ping Pong!" Kimiko started.

"Yeah, partner, you've taken to Shen Gong Wu like wool to a sheep!"

"You'll be an SGW master in no time!" Rai finished.

"Four _sifu_?" Omi stuttered from behind the rock he was hiding behind.

Ping Pong just blushed. Dojo then slithered up to him carrying the scroll. "Hey, Ping Pong! Ready to continue studying the many Shen Gong Wu?"

"Most definitely, Dojo. Merci to all of you! You have all taught me so many wonderful things!"

Omi harrumphed and folded his arms. "I should be the only one teaching Ping Pong valuable things! After all, he is _my_ Little Gecko!" Omi grumbled before turning away and leaving the others, none of them even having noticed he had been there.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

It rained that night. After the others had all retired into their makeshift shelters, Ping Pong practiced his Praying Mantis Strike in the pouring rain. Omi, who was used to training in the rain as well (it _was_ his Element, after all), sat in a tree watching him. Ping Pong tried the move a little more before stopping and looking up in the tree. "Brother Omi! How does my Mantis look?"

"You are pulling two centimeters to the left." Omi said with no emotion. He jumped down. "Praying Mantis Strike!" After doing the move he did a couple more. "Bull Milking Cow! Pelican Surfing Wave! Scorpion Mopping Floor!"

When he was done, Omi turned back to his near-sighted counterpart. "Could your _other_ _sifu_ have taught you those moves?"

"Um…no?" Ping Pong replied, a little unnerved by Omi's strange behavior.

"Exactly! Because I am the most knowledgeable and skilled monk here!" Omi shouted before turning and walking away. Ping Pong just watched him go; however, both were unaware of the crow perched in the tree Omi was just in, completely unaffected by the rain.

Chase and Shadow watched the exchange in the Heylin Eye. The overlord of evil took a sip from a bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup before setting it on the armrest of his throne. He glared at the image.

"This is not good…sure, he's weak now…but he may grow too powerful, too soon."

"The Omi gumball has been a real pain in the neck." Shadow, who was standing next to him, agreed.

Chase rubbed his temple. "Actually, I was talking about 'Ping Pong'. True, Omi is still the bigger threat, but he has the bigger weakness: his ego. Ping Pong lacks that; he is too pure to be corrupted like Omi can. Omi alone reaching his full potential was bad enough, but if they both do…"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell me you don't have a plan."

"Oh I do. Even though their destructions will be ensured at the eclipse, it couldn't hurt to tie up those loose ends now. I managed to eliminate Omi as a threat before through quiet manipulation and patience. His smaller doppelganger, on the other hand, will require more…drastic measures."

Shadow licked her lips. "I love it when you talk like that." She eyed the steaming bowl on the armrest. While Chase appeared deep in thought, Shadow slowly reached for the soup.

Big mistake.

Chase grabbed her arm, stood up, and forced her arm behind her back.

"Tsk, tsk."

"I was just curious." Shadow stammered.

"Your time will come, Shadow, but you do as _I_ say. Understand?" Chase whispered in her ear.

"…Yes." Chase released Shadow, who turned to face him. Suddenly, the two started hissing at each other. Unbeknownst to them, a black crow was perched in the rafters above, watching them. It looked for all the world like one of Chase's, until its eye started glowing red and a metal covering narrowed over it like a camera lens.

In his laboratory, Jack Spicer was watching the video footage on a monitor. "Yes! Spy-Bot is a complete success! I can see what my hero is up to anytime without him even knowing it!" Jack paused when Chase and Shadow started hissing. "Ew! What the heck are they doing?"

"Interesting," Wuya commented. "They hiss to establish a telepathic communication. Chase must be REAL close to that Shadow in order to do that. What _is_ that bombshell's story?" Wuya floated in place seething.

Jack couldn't help himself. "Is someone jealous?"

"Jealous?! Of that blue-haired buffoon! Don't be ridiculous!"

"I bet you want to be hissing with Chase..." Jack said, slowly backing away with a smile on his face.

"Why you-" Wuya started chasing Jack around his laboratory. After a few moments, she stopped and her eyes started shining yellow. "I sense a Shen Gong Wu!" Wuya turned toward the wall, where her eyes projected an image just like the Shen Gong Wu scroll. The Wu looked like a small sculpture of an insect.

"The Zena Dragonfly. It provides an energy boost." The projection showed a figure hold it and activate it. The monk started glowing and moved super-fast, punching out several oncoming enemies easily. He activated the Wu again and suddenly clutched his head in agony.

"But if not careful, it can fry your brain." Wuya finished as her eyes went back to normal.

Jack shuddered. "No thank you."

"What?!" Wuya exclaimed.

"Um, in case you haven't noticed, my brain is the most valuablest thing I got. I prefer it _un_ -fried, thank you very much!"

"But…but the Wu-"

"Don't sweat it. Wait until those monks get a whiff of my greatest creation ever!" Jack and Wuya walked (and floated) outside to where something HUGE was under an equally gigantic tarp. "All that money from my little tech support business really came in handy!" Jack cackled.

"Are you sure this will work?" Wuya asked.

Jack grinned at her. "Hey, you know what they say…" He looked back at the tarp. "Go big or go home."

* * *

Even though Jack had actually declined a Shen Gong Wu that time, the monks hadn't. Fortunately, the rain had stopped. Dojo flew the monks to a small mountain range. "Wu Ahoy!" He shouted upon seeing the Zena Dragonfly atop a small cliff. The main body was gray with darker gray stripes along the abdomen. The thorax consisted of a brown shell with four holes through which the transparent white wings poked. It had large profound yellow jaws with white stripes on the insides. Its abdominal appendages were the same colors and were just as big with a yellow orb in the middle. There were three smaller yellow dots on the underside of the abdomen, acting as segments. Finally, it had red compound eyes and a pointy brown proboscis.

Dojo flew down to ground level where Chase and Shadow were waiting for them.

Omi rushed to the front of the group. "Surrender! Or face a humiliating defeat!"

Shadow walked up and licked her lips. "Forgive me. I'm feeling a little…" She hissed and stuck out her tongue. "…frisky tonight." Shadow started spinning in place, magically becoming a dark-purple tornado which went toward the monks.

"Wind!" Raimundo conjured a tornado of his own. The two spinning blurs actually grinded against each other for a moment before Rai's dissipated and Shadow went back to normal. She hissed and lunged at the monks.

While Kimiko, Ping Pong, and Clay took Shadow, Raimundo and Omi faced Chase. The green-clad warrior reached behind his back and pulled out his Staff of Ku. In a flash of green light, the weapon changed. The two prongs had become a yellow blade with two points at the bottom sloping downward. Chase swung the spear-like Staff at Omi who ducked under it and kicked him. Raimundo sent another blast of wind, but Chase swung his spear at it. The breeze broke apart then and there. As Rai stood confused, Omi used his Orb of Torpedo to shoot water at Chase. The villain held out his staff and the water actually seemed to stop and swirl around the blade. Chase formed the water into a big ball and shot it back at Omi, knocking him back, and then proceeded to trip up Rai.

While that was going on, Kimiko came at Shadow with a flying kick, only for the ex-spy to grab her leg and throw her into a nearby stream. Clay snuck up behind her and grabbed her in a bear hug, but she just turned into shadow, slipped out, reformed behind him, and kicked him to the ground. She turned to see Ping Pong climbing the cliff wall, heading for the Wu. She growled before running up to the wall and scaling it like a lizard, easily catching up to the diminutive monk.

The two got to the top and placed their hands on the dragonfly-shaped object, causing it to glow.

"Most evil Shadow, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! I wager the Manchurian Musca!" Ping Pong declared, holding up the fly-shaped object.

Shadow licked her lips again. "Since this Showdown seems to be all about…mmm, insects, I wager this little bauble." Shadow held up a beetle-shaped object.

Ping Pong looked at it before closing his eyes in concentration. He waved his free hand back towards his teammates. "Don't tell me, I know this one! That is the…Black Beetle. It covers its user in protective heat-resistant armor."

"Bingo!" Rai shouted, giving Ping Pong a thumbs-up.

"Looks like those studies are paying off!" Dojo added.

Omi said nothing.

Ping Pong turned back to his opponent. "So it is my Manchurian Musca verses your Black Beetle! The challenge is what I like to call 'Mangrove Rhapsody!' We dance through the treetops and try to knock the other into the mud below! The first to do so shall be victorious!"

"Sounds fun. Let's get to it, then." Shadow agreed.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

Tall trees sprouted out of the ground. Everyone who wasn't Ping Pong or Shadow was pushed outside as a ring of trees encircled them. The two contestants found themselves standing in the branches of towering mangroves over a large patch of mud in the center of the ring. Ping Pong once more marveled at his Showdown outfit before facing Shadow.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!"

"I've been looking forward to this dance for a long time, _Ping Pong_." Shadow sneered. She leapt at the monk, trying to knock him off the branches. Ping Pong jumped away. He continued to avoid Shadow as the two jumped through the branches. At one point, Ping Pong almost slipped and fell down.

' _Careful, remember what Raimundo said: it is all about balance.'_

Ping Pong leapt to avoid another attack by Shadow. When he landed on the next branch, he tried to bend the limbs around him using his Wood element.

' _Focus and aim your power…'_

"Wood!"

Nothing.

Shadow just laughed as she grabbed Ping Pong and threw him down. Fortunately, Ping Pong managed to grab onto a lower branch before he fell into the mud. The young monk used the branch like a springboard to launch himself towards his adversary.

"Black Beetle!" Shadow was covered in black armor. Ping Pong just bounced off her when he struck. He went at her again and again, but his tiny fists couldn't make a dent in the magic shell.

Shadow laughed again before she kicked him down onto another low branch. "This is too good! Just give up, you pesky little bug!"

That gave Ping Pong an idea. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Wu he had wagered. "Manchurian Musca!" Ping Pong once again transformed into a fly. He flew up around Shadow to get her attention.

He certainly succeeded. Shadow seemed to be in a daze as she watched him. "Why Ping Pong…you look good enough to… _eat!_ " Shadow deactivated the Black Beetle and stuck out her long green tongue like a chameleon trying to snatch him. Ping Pong was too quick for her, though. He flew in circles around Shadow with the slimy appendage following until Shadow had wrapped herself up in her own tongue, standing precariously on her branch.

"Throw your weight around, even if you don't have much to throw!" Ping Pong flew up to Shadow's head and pushed, causing her to lose her balance and fall down. Ping Pong turned himself back to normal just in time for Shadow to land in the mud with a _splut!_

The Showdown ended and Ping Pong landed in front of his friends holding the Manchurian Musca, Black Beetle, and Zena Dragonfly.

All the other Xiaolin (except Omi) started congratulating him.

"It was nothing, my friends," Ping Pong humbly explained. "I just followed the advice the three of you gave me!"

Omi harrumphed, but no one heard him.

Meanwhile, Shadow picked herself up and wiped some of the mud off her. She looked back at the monks, then at Chase. The two shared a look before disappearing.

* * *

When the monks returned to their makeshift camp, Omi had been pretty insistent on taking the newly-claimed Wu, especially the Zena Dragonfly, from Ping Pong for safekeeping.

After everyone else had gone to sleep, Omi was once again in a tree watching Ping Pong train by himself. Omi looked at the Dragonfly Shen Gong Wu in his hand before quietly speaking to himself. "So what if Ping Pong is not paying as much attention to me anymore. I am happy he is learning so much…so very-oh, who am I fooling?" Omi sighed before fingering the metal bug some more. "Maybe with my energy boosted, Ping Pong would want to train with me more…" Omi sighed again. "Well you know what they say…decisions are best made in the afternoon." Omi put the Dragonfly in his pocket before letting himself fall asleep.

Ping Pong stopped and looked up at him. "Nighty night, Brother Omi." The little monk said before balancing on his head and falling asleep upside-down.

Later that night, a patch of dark moved over all the snoozing Xiaolin. It slithered up to Omi's tree branch before solidifying into Shadow.

Shadow carefully reached into Omi's robe without waking him up and pulled out the Zena Dragonfly.

"Good thing Chase knows how to make these thingamajigs work for him." Shadow whispered before reaching into her armor and withdrawing a vial of green liquid. She poured it over the Dragonfly. The part that dripped onto the tree acted like acid, burning the bark.

As for the Dragonfly, its compound eyes started glowing green. Shadow chuckled before leaping down from the tree and landing next to the other snoozing bald-headed monk. She held out the Dragonfly by his ear. The Shen Gong Wu shrank before flying down Ping Pong's ear canal of its own accord.

"Sweet dreams, little pest." Shadow whispered before once more turning ethereal and leaving.

The next morning saw a large swarm of bugs buzzing around the Xiaolin camp. However, Ping Pong leapt in the middle of it all. His body briefly glowed green and he started swatting the insects with amazing speed. Ping Pong knocked out the whole swarm in seconds. The Shoku Warriors and Dojo observed him.

"Does somethin' 'bout the lil' fella seem off to any o' you?" Clay asked.

"He looks…turbo-charged, even for Ping Pong." Kimiko commented. She was interrupted by Ping Pong zooming in front of her.

"SisterKimikoIamreadytoresumetraining!" Ping Pong quickly said. "STARHANABI!" Ping Pong shot several fireballs at the branches on the tree, cleanly blowing them all off.

"Nice work-" Kimiko started, but she didn't get to finish as Ping Pong moved to Rai.

"LeaderRaimundo! How about another windlesson?" Ping Pong said a bit more articulately than before. "Sword of the Storm!" Ping Pong swung the Sword and swept the pile of branches all the way over the side of the mountain.

Ping Pong then rushed over to the rock Clay had split in half the day before. He zoomed at it, jumped, and shouted "Fist of Tebigong!" When the small blur struck the halves of the rock, they crumbled into gravel.

Ping Pong then clutched his head, looking aggravated.

"Ping Pong looks like he is battling many demons inside his brain." Omi observed.

Ping Pong flashed green again before crumpling to the ground. The others rushed over to him.

Dojo looked him over, and then sniffed him. His eyes widened. "I know that stink…" He pried open Ping Pong's eyelid. A wicked-looking green spiral was swirling around his pupil.

"He's had an overdose of the Zena Dragonfly! And it's…" Dojo sniffed some more and slithered around to the boy's ear. He pointed to it. "In there! Someone must have planted it on him!"

Everyone turned to Omi, who looked back at all of them. "All of you think _I_ did it?!" He asked incredulously.

"You had it last." Kimiko said, her arms folded.

Omi quickly searched his robe to see that the Dragonfly had indeed disappeared. "What, you think that just because I was a little jealous of Ping Pong learning things from all of you instead of from me, I planted the Zena Dragonfly inside his ear so it would be _me_ who saved him, thus proving I am the most worthy Dragon to be learned under and this is not helping me, is it?"

"Not really, no." Clay answered.

Suddenly, a strange noise came from Ping Pong.

"He's gonna blow!" Dojo shouted, quickly taking cover inside Clay's hat.

The Xiaolin Warriors backed away as Ping Pong's body suddenly started growing in size until he was about three-fifths as large as Omi had been when he used the Changing Chopsticks and the Reversing Mirror.

The Shoku Warriors stood there gaping when Dojo peeked out from under Clay's hat. "Huh. That doesn't usually happen." He noted. He put a finger to his chin. "Something weird's going on."

"Thank goodness his clothes grew too." The grateful Kimiko said with relief.

Omi stepped forward. "I must go inside Ping Pong's brain and retrieve the Zena Dragonfly! And if you all still do not believe I am innocent, _all_ of us can go."

"I'd hurry," Dojo shakily said. "Who knows how long this melon will last before it pops!"

Omi held out the Manchurian Musca, which Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay all put their hands atop of.

"Manchurian Musca!" All four of them said at the same time. In a flash, where four Xiaolin monks once stood were four Xiaolin flies. They buzzed past Dojo. "Keep an eye on Ping Pong." Kimiko said in a tiny high-pitched voice before the four of them entered Ping Pong's ear.

"Not exactly a challenge. I like it." Dojo commented as he pulled a lawn chair out of nowhere. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and held up a bottle of tanning oil. "Better get to work!"

Dojo was so focused on his "job" that he didn't notice a black smudge creep across the floor and enter Ping Pong's ear.

* * *

 **Don't quit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The four Xiaolin flies buzzed through Ping Pong's head. "The little dude does a good job of keepin' his ears clean." Raimundo noted as they flew on.

"Thank goodness." Kimiko added again.

Finally, they made it to the inside of Ping Pong's enlarged skull. The room resembled a cave with the floor being consisted of brain as far as the compound eye could see. "Careful guys, don't touch the brain, there's electric current everywhere." Kimiko, having been inside Omi's head before, warned the others.

"Bonjour, little bug people!"

Everyone looked startled when a giant image of Ping Pong's head appeared on the wall in front of them.

"Okay, I don't remember this." Kimiko said.

"P-P-Ping Pong?" Omi stammered.

The head raised an eyebrow. "Yes, have we met before?"

"Ping Pong, it is me, Omi!"

"Omi? Omi…"

While the giant Ping Pong tried to place the name, Raimundo flew over to Omi. "Dude, I don't think that's Ping Pong!" he whispered.

"Then what is it?"

"I think it's his inner voice! You know, the part of you that gives you advice on what to do? He doesn't recognize us!"

"Oh! I know Brother Omi; there is no one I admire more!"

Omi seemed caught off-guard by this answer. "…Really?"

"Indeed, little fly person! But I do not admire him just because he is the greatest warrior ever, or because our heads resemble each other's, it is because he is all about the truth. If something is wrong, he does not keep it in. For when you have the truth, everything follows."

Omi's compound eyes started to tear up. "I did not realize Ping Pong thought so highly of me…even when he was learning so much from all of you…"

Clay put a hand on his shoulder. "Ping Pong's got a long way to go, partner. We're just tryin' to help him along best we can."

Omi turned to the others. "I know…I cannot believe I was jealous of all of you." He wiped his eyes. "Now let's save my Little Gecko!" Omi turned back to the wall. "Giant Ping Pong, have you seen the Zena Dragonfly anywhere here?"

"You mean the other bug that has been giving me most dreadful headaches? Is he a friend of yours?"

"No, and neither are we."

Everyone turned to see Chase and Shadow both hovering in the air next to them. Omi pointed at them. "Chase Young! You are the one responsible for hurting Ping Pong!"

Chase smirked. "Guilty as charged."

"But why?!" Raimundo demanded.

"Ping Pong poses a new threat to the Heylin Empire. A threat that must be wiped out early."

Omi growled. "We will finish this, but we must do it _outside_!"

Chase turned to Shadow. "What do you think?"

"I'm good here." His partner responded.

Chase turned back to the monks. "There you have it." He and Shadow somehow struck perfect fighting poses in mid-air. "After you."

Raimundo groaned. "Easy, guys, we don't wanna hurt Ping Pong!"

"Watch out for the electric current!" Kimiko said again as the four flies flew to meet their Heylin adversaries.

Back outside, Dojo was working on his tan when he heard a deep booming sound. Ping Pong was groaning as he woke up.

The enlarged monk sat up and rubbed his noggin. "Why does my head feel so heavy?" He looked around at the small trees and tiny Dojo next to him. "And how did I become so ginormous?"

"Heh heh, funny story…or at least it would be if I had one." Dojo sheepishly replied.

"WHAT?" Ping Pong's giant voice boomed down to him. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"A problem I don't share…" Dojo groaned as he tried to shake off the ringing in his earholes.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Oh now whaaaaaa…" Dojo trailed off as he beheld what was undoubtedly the biggest robot he had ever seen in his fifteen hundred-plus year long life. It was strongly human-shaped and it was GIGANTIC! Even Ping Pong, with how big he was, only looked the same size he would be if the metal behemoth was a normal person.

Ping Pong recognized the evil laughter that had emerged from the machine. "Jack Spicer? Is that you?"

"Well well well, if it ain't the shrimpy Xiaolin fanboy, Ping Pong! Don't know how you got so big, but it doesn't matter! Tremble before my greatest creation yet: Giant Jack Bot!" The evil boy genius announced from a circle-shaped viewport in the robot's head.

"Coulda come up with a better name." Dojo wisecracked from where he was cowering behind Ping Pong.

"I was in a hurry! No matter, I'm gonna crush you, _and_ the other Xiaolin Losers!"

Ping Pong growled. "Not on my watch, Jack Spicer!" Ping Pong left Dojo in the dust as he charged to meet his giant opponent.

Omi and the others continued to fight Chase and Shadow above Ping Pong's brain. Chase blocked a few blows from Omi before delivering some of his own. Shadow seemed to be having fun more than anything else, as thanks to the zero-gravity affect Chase had endowed her with, she could turn into shadow and slip around like a ghost, completely evading her opponents. The danger was only augmented by the electricity from the brain, which was becoming much more frequent now that Ping Pong was awake.

"Ooh, this battle for my brain is most intense!" Ping Pong's inner voice exclaimed. "It is almost as scary as-" The image of the monk's head stopped to shudder. "-turkeys!"

Omi stopped and turned to the wall. "Turkeys? _That_ is what you are most afraid of?" Omi was brought back to the present when Chase punched him in the face.

Meanwhile, Kimiko confronted Shadow. "Alright, girlfriend, you and me!" Shadow smirked before holding up a packaged rectangle. Kimiko stopped. Shadow slowly unwrapped it to reveal a chocolate bar. She threw it past Kimiko and the Dragon of Fire immediately flew to retrieve it. She stuck her proboscis into the candy and started slurping up the sugar; that is until Raimundo went over to her and smacked her on the back of her head. "I'm a fly! I couldn't help it!" Kimiko defended herself.

Shadow laughed. "This is quite enjoyable! All the same…" she turned to Chase. "Maybe it'll be a mite easier with some soup?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, **no**." Chase answered, sounding very annoyed. Omi raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, all the combatants felt a lurch as they were all forced up for a moment. Omi shook his head to recover. "What is Ping Pong doing?"

To answer Omi's question, Ping Pong was on one knee holding up the arm of Jack's Giant Jack Bot while trying not to be crushed. Finally, he managed to throw the robot on its back.

Jack frantically worked the controls to get upright again. "Good…" He made the robot clench its three-fingered fists. "But not good enough!" Ping Pong tried to fight the robot, but couldn't quite gain the upper hand.

"Ooh," Ping Pong's inner ego said worriedly, "I am fighting a most fearsome giant robot! I am afraid I do not quite have the power to stop it."

Omi looked concerned for a moment, and then he got an idea. When Chase came at him again, Omi quickly flew above him. "Monkey Reading Shakespeare!" Omi kicked Chase down onto the surface of Ping Pong's brain, which shocked him enough to daze him for a minute. Omi flew around, looking for something in Ping Pong's brain…there! On the organ's surface was an indent shaped like a yin-yang symbol. This was where Ping Pong's chi was stored.

Omi carefully landed on the circular pad and concentrated. His nine dots lit up. "Here, my friend. Share my power." He whispered. The yin-yang symbol below him started glowing.

Ping Pong's inner self gasped as the three dots on his own forehead lit up. Back outside, the real Ping Pong gasped too as he was overcome with a strange sensation.

The screen flashed.

* * *

At first we see nothing but yellow, but then Ping Ping's three dots light up one-by-one. The camera zooms out to show Ping Pong standing on a tree stump in the middle of a plain. Ping Pong looks determined as he raises his arms. Suddenly, trees sprout from the ground all around him. Four diagonal branches grow over the screen, forming a diamond-shaped hole showing Ping Pong in the center as the Chinese character 木, or _mù_ , appears and grows out.

" _WOOD!"_

* * *

Ping Pong jumped and flipped at Jack's robot, managing to knock it back.

"My tiger instinct! It is bubbling!" Ping Pong exclaimed when he landed.

Inside his head, Omi smiled, as the other Ping Pong had just said the same thing. He looked back to Chase, who had gotten up and looked quite irritated. "We are the mantises. Let's strike some bullies!" Omi exclaimed.

"Bunny Hugging Grizzly Bear!" Omi and Ping Pong exclaimed as they both jumped at their enemies and showered them with rapid punches.

"Turtle Spinning Pizza!" The two bald monks twirled and rammed into their opponents, knocking them away.

"Seal Climbing Trees!" Omi and Ping Pong body-slammed their enemies, knocking them back more.

"And finally…" Omi began.

"Praying Mantis Striking Bully!" Ping Pong swung his arm, tripping up Giant Jack Bot and making it fall off the cliff. Jack quickly ejected, safely parachuting down next to his busted scrap of a machine. Ping Pong would have reveled in his victory, but his body flashed green again and he clutched his head, falling to his knees. He opened his eyes to show that his corneas had turned dark-green in addition to the spirals.

"Oh…he's not gonna last must longer…Omi and the others better hurry up…" Dojo whimpered.

Inside Ping Pong's head, all the intruders felt the brain shake some more. Lightning was flying at them like crazy.

"Uh, guys," Raimundo began as he avoided the cerebral discharges, "I'm not trying to sound bossy or anything…but we should really find the Dragonfly and get going!"

That was when Omi saw it. A ways from where he hovered was the glowing green-eyed Shen Gong Wu. It sat on the surface of the brain with its pincher-like mandibles jabbed into the organ, feeding it the currently Heylin-influenced energy, not only giving Ping Pong's body unwanted exertions but its enormous size as well.

Omi flew towards it, Chase following neck-and-neck with him. Suddenly, Clay tackled Chase out of the air, taking one for the team by knocking them down onto the brain and delivering a nasty shock to both of them. Omi was relieved; he didn't particularly wish to find out what a Showdown inside Ping Pong's brain would do to him. Omi grabbed ahold of the Dragonfly and after a bit of tugging pulled it out. Instantly its eyes went back to their normal red color and it was still.

Omi put the Dragonfly in his pocket to and turned to see Chase floating there with charred hair and looking _very_ frustrated.

"You have lost, Chase Young! Now leave Ping Pong's brain!"

Chase once again assumed a fighting stance. "Make me." He spat.

Omi furrowed his brow. He had to get Chase and Shadow out of there, but how?

Omi remembered something from earlier and immediately got an idea. He flew past Chase without attacking and went back to the others, who were still facing Shadow.

"Detain her." He instructed them.

Raimundo wearily gave him a thumbs-up before going back to the battle.

Omi turned to meet Chase. He buzzed around and around him as the Heylin lord swung. Suddenly, Omi latched onto Chase's back like the fly he was.

"Lobster Busting Crab." Omi said to himself as he reached into Chase's armor and snatched something.

He detached from Chase and flew away. He saw that Raimundo and Kimiko had pushed Shadow right into the path of a bolt of electricity, stunning her. They along with Clay now held her body horizontally as she wearily tilted her head up at Omi.

The warrior of Water turned back to Chase. "I believe this is yours." He said, showing Chase what he had stolen: his daily bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup.

Chase looked surprised as he checked his inventory to find it was no longer there. He then smirked. "And just what are you going to do with that? Drink it? Pour it into Ping Pong's brain? Be my guest."

"Oh, not me." Omi smiled before turning back to their prisoner. "Shadow looks thirsty, don't you think?"

The surprised look returned to the normally unwavering warrior's face.

The other monks looked confused as Omi slowly flew over while holding the bowl out to Shadow. "You do not look so well. Here, try this."

Shadow looked surprised until her face broke out into a hungry smile. She stretched out her left arm (her only limb that wasn't held by the remaining three monks) towards the bowl.

"Wait!"

Omi jerked the bowl out of Shadow's reach as everyone looked toward Chase. He was holding his arm out and looked almost concerned about Shadow drinking his soup. The monks could swear they also saw just a bit of fear.

"So we have a deal?" Omi smugly asked.

Chase lowered his arm and his face returned to its natural stoniness. "Deal."

Omi nodded toward the other monks, who smiled and reared Shadow back.

"Heave…" Raimundo began.

"Ho!" All three said as they threw the still-dazed girl over to Chase. Chase caught her and held her by the back of her collar in his right hand. Without another word, the two turned into darkness which swirled back out the way the monks came, with them following.

Ping Pong and Dojo looked with surprise as a dark blur came out of Ping Pong's ear and materialized into Chase and Shadow. Four little flies followed. "Manchurian Musca!" Omi's tiny voice shouted. Just like that, the four monks became human again.

Chase and Shadow stood in front of them. "Here you go." Omi said, returning the bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup to Chase. Chase took it and glowered. "Until we meet again, Xiaolin monks." He said before turning to Shadow. "We will have a little talk later." The immortal warrior then disappeared into green smoke. Shadow turned to the monks and hissed, as if she blamed them for Chase being mad at her, before turning into her shadowy form and slipping away.

Ping Pong looked at himself to see that he was shrinking. In seconds, the young Dragon-in-training was his normal size again. Kimiko hugged him. "Ping Pong! We're so glad you're back!"

"I am glad to be back, my friends." Ping Pong replied. When Kimiko set him down, he smiled wearily at the others. "I am not quite sure what happened, but I know that you all saved me from…something. Thank you." The boy bowed.

Omi walked over to him. "Indeed, Ping Pong. We saved you from a most unpleasant fate." He turned to look at the others. "All of us." He turned back to him. "My friend, I am most sorry for being jealous that you were learning from someone other than me. There is enough room in your brain for lessons from all of us. Trust me, I know." Omi laughed.

The others started laughing too, leaving Ping Pong, who didn't get it, standing there confused.


	9. S1E8: The Pied Spicer

**OMAC001-Indeed, their relationship definitely isn't perfect.**

 **Here's another episode I wrote myself. I hope you all enjoy it and even though reviews aren't mandatory, I'd love to know how I'm doing and if there's anything I need to improve on. Feedback is encouraged, but not required.**

 **Anyway, there are a few bonus tidbits to be found throughout this chapter! If you don't see them, they're posted at the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

Raimundo woke up to another morning of blinding sunlight. He got out of his sleeping bag, stretched, and yawned. He looked down at the wet dew under his bare feet before taking in their makeshift campsite. He grumbled before clapping his hands. "Rise and shine, everybody! Come on!"

One by one, the other monks woke up and shook off their sleepiness.

"Alright, everyone, let's clean this place up before we get going." Rai instructed.

"Aw, do we hafta?" Clay mumbled as he looked around. "It don't look that bad."

Rai raised an eyebrow. "There's junk everywhere from when we made s'mores last night."

Clay licked his lips. "And boy, were they tasty."

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Come on, Clay, the faster we clean up, the faster we can be on our way."

"Alright." Clay agreed as the monks started picking up the graham cracker and chocolate bar wrappers.

After all the litter was picked up, the gang neatly rolled up their sleeping bags before putting it all inside the trusty Cosmic Burlap. When all was said and done, the monks got dressed (privately of course) and once again continued their journey for a new home.

"Gotta admit, Rai, you've really improved cleanliness-wise." Kimiko complimented, remembering Raimundo's early days where he'd just sweep garbage under the rug.

"First off, there are no rugs out here." He explained. "Second, I've grown up. After all, how can we clean up evil if we can't clean up after ourselves?"

Kimiko giggled. "Well said, Rai."

* * *

Well on the other side of the globe, Jack Spicer woke up to another morning of soothing artificial light. He got out of bed, stretched, and yawned. He looked down at his fuzzy googly-eyed slippers before taking in his messy room. He grumbled and changed into his workday outfit. When he was done, he threw his pajamas on the floor as he left the room.

He walked through and around various bits of machinery in his laboratory, which didn't look any better than his bedroom. He sat down at a desk, rubbed his eyes and snapped his fingers. His mechanical chef, F-Bot, immediately came in with a bowl of cereal poured and ready. The robot took a spoonful and fed Jack as the boy genius started tinkering with yet another one of his inventions. Jack absentmindedly chewed as he worked, dripping milk and bits of cereal onto the floor. When he was done with breakfast, Jack made a shooing motion with his hand and F-Bot took his leave.

Wuya floated into the room and took in the mess. "Jack."

He didn't hear her.

" _Jack_."

Still no response.

"JACK!"

The villain jumped and knocked more bits of robot parts onto the floor. He whirled to face her. "What?! Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'll tell you what you _should_ be busy doing! Look at this mess!"

"What mess?" Jack looked around at the piles of electronics. "Oh, that mess. Yeah, my mom usually picked up my room for me. Gave me more time to work on evil, you know?"

Wuya grumbled. "How can you expect to clean up good if you can't even clean up after yourself?"

Jack scratched his head. "What's the big deal? Being clean is for good guys."

Wuya's eyes started glowing yellow. "You'll have to pick up your toys later. The Pied Pipes have revealed themselves."

"Alright! Let's get movin'!" Jack looked around. "Now where did I put the keys to my hover-jet?"

Wuya groaned.

* * *

Forest animals scattered as a long green shape soared above them.

"The Pied Pipes rely on the power of music. Just play the right song, and the things and even people you want will be drawn to you. Sort of like a magical game of 'Follow the Leader'." Dojo explained.

Raimundo held out the scroll as the others watched. A figure picked up a trumpet-like object and blew into it. Still playing, he walked off to the side with several objects following him in a straight line.

Dojo flew to a mountain trail flanked on either side by towering cliffs. "Alright, I know it's here somewhere." the dragon said, sniffing around.

The monks had only looked around for a few seconds before they heard a familiar annoying evil laugh.

"Jack-Bots, attack!" Jack shouted from above with his Heli-Bot. His cone-headed droids zoomed down to obey him. As usual, the monks just started smashing them all.

In-between turning the Bots to scrap, Raimundo looked up at Jack and grinned. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" Rai cupped his hands together and made a tornado that sucked the hovering villain towards him. Rai caught Jack and held him by his collar. Jack smiled nervously while Rai did so mischievously.

A punch sound was heard and Jack suddenly slammed into one of the cave walls. Jack wearily got up and leaned on a stone that was sticking out of the wall. The loose rock fell out and landed on Jack's foot. After Jack yelped and hopped on one foot for a second, he looked into a hole the rock had been plugging up and his eyes widened. Jack reached into the hole and pulled out the Pied Pipes with a triumphant smile. The Wu was a dark bronze color and resembled a trumpet that had one coil. The mouthpiece was a small yellow cone and the three valves were the same color. Near the bell was a dark-brown stripe with small round holes and a black wave design was around the edge of the bell. Finally, poking out of the bell was a second bell colored dull yellow and third, cream-orange bell inside _that_ one.

Jack looked back to the monks who were finishing off his robots. He quickly activated the Heli-Bot and flew upward with the Wu in hand.

Once all the Jack-Bots were nothing but litter, Kimiko looked up and saw the instrument in Jack's hands. "Hey, Jack's got the Wu!"

"That's right, baby!" Jack said as he retreated into his hover-jet, which had been hovering in place with Wuya in the passenger's seat. "Once again, evil triumphs over good!"

"I can't believe it! You have actually succeeded!" Wuya said happily.

"Later, Xiaolin Losers!" Jack laughed triumphantly as he soared away in his personal jet.

"Aw man…" Rai said.

"I wouldn't worry, guys. It's _Jack Spicer_. How long can his luck last?" Kimiko said with a smile on her face.

The monks mumbled in agreement before looking back in the direction the jet had soared off to.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

A few hours later, another Shen Gong Wu had popped. Faster than you can say, "To the Wu," the monks were flying to it on Dojo.

"Wu like this one have always made me nervous." Dojo said as Rai opened the scroll.

"It looks like a vial."

"It's called the Toxic Orchid Serum. This Shen Gong Wu falls under the 'Poison' Element. It squirts some nasty juice, and there's no telling what it'll do to you! So you can see why I'd be cautious around that stuff." Dojo finished.

Dojo took them inside a mountain tunnel with plenty of light shining through both sides for visibility. The Toxic Orchid Serum was lying on a flat raised rock inside. It resembled a pill-shaped vial full of sickly green liquid. Blackened on the glass was a picture of a skull holding a flower in its mouth. The container was topped with a gray nozzle that featured an airhorn-like horn.

Raimundo picked it up. "Guess Jack didn't want to spoil his victory by losing…again!" The monks laughed for a bit before they heard music from somewhere. It sounded like a trumpet and had almost a seductive-like tone to it.

"Guys, do you hear that?" Raimundo asked. The others all confirmed as they searched for its source. Suddenly, the vial in Raimundo's hands started wobbling. He tried to hold on to it, but it flew out of his hand. It actually started bobbing through the air toward the end of the tunnel opposite to the one the monks had come through.

"Hey!" Raimundo shouted as he and his team ran to follow the vial. When they exited the tunnel, they saw Jack's hover-jet. The self-proclaimed genius was standing on top of it, playing the mysterious music through the Pied Pipes Shen Gong Wu he had just scored. The Toxic Orchid Serum floated up to Jack. When it got to him, he grabbed it and took the Pipes out of his mouth to sing.

" _Sliiiiime beneath me,_

 _Sliiiime up above, ooh,_

 _You'll love my, oh ah oh, Toxic Love!_ "

When Jack was done, he burst out laughing. "Whaddya think, Xiaolin punks? _Ooh, Xiaolin punks, that's a good one_. Betcha didn't know I could play the Shen Gong Wu, didja?"

Dojo slapped a hand to his forehead. "Of course! The Pied Pipes draw people and objects toward you! With the right song, of course!"

"That's right!" Jack boasted.

The monks took fighting poses. "Well there's no song for getting rid of us now, is there?" Kimiko spoke up.

Jack grinned fiendishly. "Actually…Pied Pipes!" He started playing another tune from the Wu.

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. The song sounded familiar…then it hit him. His eyes widened in fear.

Jack was playing the instrumental to the hokey-pokey.

The Dragon of Wind's arms and legs started moving of their own accord. He and the other monks were helpless as they danced and shook about.

Finally, the music stopped and the good guys collapsed to the ground, leaving the bad guys to get away again.

Raimundo was the first to pull himself up. "Well…at least now we know what he can do! He won't be able to get the drop on _us_ again, right?"

The others didn't look so sure.

* * *

A couple days later, another Shen Gong Wu, the Cheetah Paw, revealed itself. It stood upright atop a small rocky cave in the middle of a little-known jungle. The Wu looked like a golden paw-like gauntlet with brown markings forming the pads. The bottom edge was dressed with several bits of tan fluff, each bit having two blue spots on it.

Dojo touched down and shrunk once the monks had departed.

"Funny, I remember being told to put it on top of this particular cave, but I don't remember why." He said as he slithered onto Clay's shoulder.

Omi walked to the front of the group. "This will be easy-cheesy!"

"Peasy." Rai corrected.

Suddenly, they heard growling. They turned and quickly discovered that the cave was actually a den for a small coalition of cheetahs.

Dojo gulped from Clay's shoulder. "Now I remember."

"Ha!" Omi said. "They are nothing compared to Chase's feline army! This will be peasy-cheesy!"

Rai face-palmed.

Just then, Jack's hover-jet flew in. Rai motioned to the others and they all put earplugs in. Jack flew on his Heli-Bot towards the monks with the Pied Pipes in hand. Raimundo grinned and pointed to his ear, indicating that he couldn't hear the music. Jack just returned Rai's cheeky grin with an evil one and started playing again.

The cheetahs stopped and their eyes widened. Then without warning, the animals stood up on their hind legs and began performing a well-choreographed dance number.

The monks stood there with tilted heads before they looked up at Jack. He briefly stopped playing. "Who knew watching music videos about animal-themed girl groups would come in handy?" Jack continued playing his cheetah-centered song and the Cheetah Paw floated up to him. Once Jack had secured the Wu and made his getaway in his jet, the wildcats went back to normal and once again faced the monks.

Rai groaned as they got ready for battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Chase Young's mountain lair, Shadow was cleaning and dusting.

"What am I, his _maid_?" She asked herself. "So what if Omi offered me some soup…that alluring, powerful soup…" Shadow shook her head and went back to her punishment.

Her next stop was the dining table, which she swore Chase had left extra messy just for her. As she was picking up the dishes, she noticed something else on the table: a small black sculpture of a coiled-up dragon.

Shadow picked it up. "What's this, now? Kind of ugly for a centerpiece." She scratched it with her nail only to find that the black came off, showing blue underneath.

"Ugh, it's _filthy_!" Shadow picked up a washcloth and started cleaning the dragon. "Honestly, the messes I have to clean up…"

When a good portion of the statue had been wiped clean, its eyes shown with a blue light.

A feminine scream was heard.

Sometime later, Chase Young walked into the room. "Shadow, I hope you're still cleaning in there, because you still need to learn your lesson about…" He stopped when he didn't see her. "Shadow? I really hope you're not shirking your duties…"

He then looked to the table to see that the black dragon he left there had disappeared.

Chase put his hand to his forehead. "Oh no…"

He heard growling and jumped to the side just as a blast of blue fire struck the floor where he had been. He looked to see a large form slither out of the shadows.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going to get the better of _me_ with your mindless brute force! Leave now, or be turned back into an antique!" Chase shouted. The figure regarded him for a moment before turning and leaving. As it did, Chase saw Shadow by its side, only now her entire form was colored blue. She stared at Chase for a second with a cold, blank look before following the intruder.

Chase sighed irritably.

* * *

The monks were training back at their next campsite. Kimiko and Omi were holding saucers and teacups from the dinnerware they'd managed to salvage from the temple. The cups were filled with water and the two monks were dodging attacks from Raimundo and Ping Pong (respectively) while trying not to spill a drop from the cups.

"How are we supposed to stop Jack _this_ time?" Kimiko asked as she dodged kicks from Rai. "As long as he has the Pied Pipes, he can call the Wu right to him!"

"Have patience, Kimiko." Omi began as he too avoided Ping Pong's attempts at spillage. "The answer will reveal itself in time."

"Yeah, but _how much_ time?" Kimiko asked worriedly.

While the monks talked, Dojo was curled up on the Cosmic Burlap taking a nap. He then felt his body move up and down almost like ocean waves.

"Oh Master Fung, you didn't have to take me to the beach, I know I'm great…huh?" Dojo woke up and saw what was happening. "KIDS!"

The monks turned to see that all of their Shen Gong Wu were floating out of the Cosmic Burlap, followed by the bag itself lifting into the air and making Dojo slide off. The artifacts were going to Jack, who was once again standing there playing music through the Pipes. This tune sounded different from his others. Furthermore, Jack kept taking breaks in playing to say, "Let's go!" and "Xiaolin Showdown!" The gang could have sworn they heard Hannibal Bean's voice too…

The Wu were in a line and one-by-one went into a larger sack at Jack's feet. The Orb of Torpedo, the Mind Reader Conch, the Tangle Web Comb, the Blue Feather Eagle; they all went in. When all was said and done, Jack once again broke into an evil cackle.

"Give back our Shen Gong Wu, Jack Spicer!" Omi demanded as he and the others ran up. "Or else…"

"Or else _what_ , Chrome Dome?" Jack said. "Jack-Bots! Attack!" More of his robots flew up to fight when they were suddenly engulfed by blue fire. The robots froze in mid-air and turned blue, falling to the ground with several clunks.

"What the-" Jack turned to where the fire had come from. "Okay, what's the big ideeeeeaaaa…" he trailed off as his eyes widened.

Jack's fearful expression matched the monks' as they spotted the culprit. "Aw, come on! I didn't even say 'what else could go wrong' yet!" Raimundo shouted. A giant limbless dragon of a deep blue color slithered up to them.

"Is that a friend of Dojo's?" Ping Pong asked, worry apparent in his voice.

"Hardly!" the small dragon answered.

Kimiko pulled Ping Pong close to her. "That's the Sapphire Dragon. It's a Shen Gong Wu that turns into a monster."

"That can turn folks into zombies made outta sapphire!" Clay added.

As if to prove Clay right, several of Chase's cats, now turned into animated gemstone controlled by the Dragon, walked up next to their new master along with the also-converted Shadow.

The Sapphire Dragon gave the monks a look that said, _I'll deal with you in a minute_. It leaned down to look Jack in the eyes and snorted. Jack quivered in his boots. He then did the only thing he could think of as a feeble attempt to protect himself.

"Pied Pipes!" Jack squeaked. He began playing the same song he used to call the Shen Gong Wu to him. The Dragon's eyes widened and it stood up straight. Jack cracked one eye open when nothing happened to him. Confused at the stiff monster, he lifted his free hand to the side. The Dragon moved its head along with it. Jack moved his hand to the other side and the Dragon moved accordingly.

Jack stopped playing for a minute. "I…can control it?"

"Of course you can!" Wuya exclaimed with a big toothy smile adorning her mask. "The Sapphire Dragon _is_ a Shen Gong Wu, after all."

"Yeah…you're right." Jack said, smiling as his fear slowly diminished.

The Dragon shook its head and growled.

"Keep playing!" Wuya barked. Jack quickly complied and started the music again. When the Dragon was back under his control, Jack slung the bag of stolen Wu over his shoulder and climbed onto its back.

"Welp, love to stay and humiliate you losers some more, but I've got some new toys to play with! See ya!" Still playing the Pied Pipes, Jack rode away on the Sapphire Dragon with Wuya and the sapphire-d victims following.

The monks all stood there for a moment before Clay fell backward.

"We…are in deep voodoo." Omi finally said.

"I'd correct you, but you're kind of right." Raimundo breathed.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Later, after the monks had recovered from the ordeal, Raimundo started pacing while the others sat on the ground in front of him.

"So, not only does Jack have all our Wu and the Pied Pipes, which he can use to make the other Shen Gong Wu and us dance like puppets, but he also has complete control over the Sapphire Dragon, which can actually turn us _into_ puppets, and with it Shadow and a lot if not all of Chase's jungle cats. Have I forgotten anything?"

"Nope. That just about covers it." Kimiko said solemnly.

"Last time that varmint Jack was this powerful was when he trapped Chase in the Sphere o' Yun." Clay recalled.

"Are you crazy, this is way worse!" Raimundo insisted. "That time, his biggest minion was Cyclops. This time it's the _Sapphire flipping Dragon!_ "

"I must admit, this seems most hopeless." Omi gravely spoke.

"Oh come now, don't tell me you're giving up already."

The monks turned toward the voice and leapt to their feet when they saw Chase Young standing there.

"Calm yourselves, my adversaries; I am not here to fight."

The monks didn't move a muscle.

Chase sighed. "As you wish."

"You sent the Dragon, didn't you?!" Raimundo demanded.

"Not exactly. See, I was originally planning on using the Sapphire Dragon as yet another test to see how far I could push you. See how resourceful you were, how long your loyalties would stand, that sort of thing. However, while Shadow was cleaning my lair as punishment for last week's little…'incident', she accidentally released the Dragon ahead of schedule. And now Spicer has tamed it with yet another one of your little toys. How unfortunate."

Raimundo slowly let himself relax. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm not going to do anything. But if _you_ want to stop him, I suggest that _you_ get going to Spicer's little hidey-hole."

"But Jack Spicer has gotten the better of us!" Omi interrupted. "We have no Shen Gong Wu and we are susceptible to whatever tricks he may pull with the Pied Pipes!"

"Which is exactly why an attack is the _last_ thing he'll expect right now." Chase pointed out.

"…As much as I hate to admit it, the evil dude's right." Raimundo finally said. "Jack'll think we're too scared to go over there now."

"He is not entirely wrong." Ping Pong said quietly, still shaken from seeing the fearsome Sapphire Dragon.

Rai leaned down and put a hand on his shoulder. "We can do it." The leader managed to get Ping Pong to smile before he stood up and turned back to Chase. "But we don't need _your_ help."

"I never offered it." Chase turned his back to the monks. "Farewell." In a flash of orange light, Chase disappeared.

Raimundo looked back toward the others. "Well gang, let's get our Wu back."

"Are ya'll sure we're ready for this, Rai?" Clay asked.

Rai sighed. "To be honest, I don't know, but we've gotta try. Come on."

* * *

Back in Jack's laboratory, the evil dreamer was using the Pied Pipes to make the sapphire jungle cats stand up and kick in a chorus line with Shadow doing the same in the middle.

"This is so _awesome_!" Jack said.

"Insolent youth! You are entertaining yourself when you could be out there securing control of the world!" Wuya snapped at him.

Jack moved his hand in a talking motion. "Blah, blah, blah! I'm all for world domination, but what's the point if you can't have fun?"

"At least put the Wu away!" Wuya said, gesturing to the bag that was just sitting on his desk.

Jack lazily waved towards it. "Yeah yeah, in a minute! First I wanna try a conga line! Now the question is how's the Sapphire Dragon gonna fit in if he doesn't have any arms?"

Unbeknownst to Jack or Wuya, the monks were hiding in the shadows behind the line of dancing cats.

"Alright, there's Jack," Kimiko said. "Now what?"

"We must retrieve the Pied Pipes! Then we can fix everything!" Ping Pong exclaimed.

"Yeah, but how?" Clay whispered.

"We take Chase Young's advice." Omi said, standing up. "We attack _now_!"

Before the others could say anything, Omi ran forward and flipped over the chorus line to in front of Jack. The Heylin boy barely had time to react before Omi whacked the Pied Pipes out of his hands. The Wu flew through the air and landed perfectly inside the bag on Jack's desk.

The sapphire show stopped dancing as the other four monks shoved through them, knocking the cats into piles. "Get the Wu!" Raimundo shouted.

Omi pushed Jack to the ground as he ran toward the bag in the back.

"YOU FOOL!" Wuya shouted.

The zombified Shadow growled before running after the monks, managing to push Clay, Ping Pong, and Kimiko out of the way. She got to the bag just as Omi reached it and shoved it, making it fall to the floor. When it did, the Orb of Torpedo rolled out. Omi quickly grabbed it while Raimundo dashed by and swiped the Cheetah Paw (which had been left on the desk next to the bag). Omi, Raimundo, and Shadow grabbed hold of the bag, but then they noticed something pointed and blue had done the same thing. The Sapphire Dragon had regained its senses as well and was touching the now-glowing bag with its tail.

"We challenge you to a two-on-two Showdown Tsunami!" Raimundo started. "Our Cheetah Paw and Orb of Torpedo against your Sapphire Dragon and, um…" He faltered upon looking at Shadow.

The gemstone warrior held out a helmet-like Shen Gong Wu that resembled the head of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was light-brown in color with dark-brown fins with yellow rays, bulging blue eyes, and a scuba mask-like mouth.

"…What's that one again?" Raimundo turned to Dojo.

"That's the Neptune Helmet. It lets the user create a small hurricane around them. That's one of the Shen Gong Wu that was in that massive treasure trove, remember?"

"Oh yeah, now I remember." Rai smiled. "I kept meaning to try it, but never got around to it…" He shook his head. "Now for the game." He looked around Jack's still-messy headquarters then back at the bag. "The game is 'Shen Gong Wu Scavenger Hunt'. Whoever finds the most Wu wins."

The Sapphire Dragon and the mindless Shadow both nodded.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!" Raimundo and Omi shouted. Jack's lair became much bigger and intricate, almost maze-like. A cubic scoreboard appeared on the ceiling with "XIAOLIN" and "DRAGON" as the team names. Balconies appeared high up on the walls with Kimiko, Clay, Ping Pong and Dojo on one and Jack, Wuya and the cats on another.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" Raimundo and Omi shouted while the Sapphire Dragon made incomprehensible roaring noises. Immediately the four scattered to find the hidden Wu. There was junk all over the place so they had their work cut out for them. Finally Raimundo spotted a familiar pattern of blue with white stars in a junk pile. He reached down and pulled out the Cosmic Burlap. The magical bag shown with a bright light before it disappeared. Up on the ceiling, the scoreboard showed that the Xiaolin team had gained one point. Their teammates cheered from up above.

"Why are we stuck all the way up here?" Jack whined. "I can't see anything!"

"I think that's the point," Kimiko answered, "so we can't help them."

In another part of the massive laboratory, the zombified Shadow swept some beakers and burners off a table until she found the Zena Dragonfly hiding amongst them. She grabbed it, it disappeared, and the Dragon team gained one point.

Raimundo came to a line of inactive Jack-Bots. They all looked normal, except for one at the end. It was black with yellow swirled designs all over its body. Raimundo hmm'd and touched the black Bot. It then reformed into the Black Beetle, which went to his team.

The Sapphire Dragon slithered through a mess of power cables until it spotted a tan one with black stripes all over it. The Dragon wrapped its tail around it and pulled it out, revealing it to be the Lasso Boa Boa.

A ways off, a pile of dirty clothes shook and Omi popped out holding the Two-Ton Tunic.

Shadow walked into the middle of an especially cluttered area. She put the Neptune Helmet on her head and wordlessly activated its power. Wind started swirling around her until she was standing in the middle of her own tiny hurricane. Robot parts and other garbage were picked up and thrown away, revealing the Kanabi Star and Tangle Web Comb underneath.

"I have never seen a Xiaolin Showdown with more than one Shen Gong Wu as the prize." Ping Pong said from his high viewpoint on the balcony. "Will the winner get all the Wu?"

"That's right, Ping Pong." Clay answered. "Don't matter how many Wu start the Showdown, it's winner take all. 'Course, I remember this one time where Wuya and Hannibal Bean tried to hornswoggle some of our Wu and Omi got into a Showdown with a robot pretendin' to be his mama (long story). The Wu were just dumped all 'bout then, not tied up all nice-like in a bag like now, and actually, the Sapphire Dragon was one o' em. Omi won, o' course, but the Dragon was the only Wu that was actually put into his hands when he won, leavin' the rest on the ground for Hannibal 'n Wuya to swipe. We got 'em all back, though."

"Hey Clay," Kimiko interrupted, "Less exposition, more Showdown watching!"

Within a few minutes, most of the other Shen Gong Wu were accounted for; Omi and Raimundo had found the Cannon de Lopez, Manchurian Musca, Eye of Dashi, Blue Feather Eagle, Sword of Lucida, and Fist of Tebigong while Shadow and the Sapphire Dragon had secured the Star Hanabi, Fist of the Iron Bear, Sword of the Storm, Monster Camo Cloak, and Mind Reader Conch. The score was now tied at 9-9.

Raimundo was about to search a large walk-in closet in the wall when Shadow kicked him. Rai grumbled and sent a blast of wind at her, but the girl held her ground easily thanks to being made of rock now. She activated the Neptune Helmet again and caused the air around them to swirl around. Rai kept himself grounded, of course, but the contents of the closet, which were mostly consisted of Frankenstein's Monster T-shirts and Jack's evil coats, weren't so lucky. However, several shoes were blown out of the closet, and Raimundo gasped upon recognizing the Jet Bootsu amongst them. Raimundo dived for the high-tech Shen Gong Wu and managed to grab ahold of one, but then he saw that Shadow had grabbed the other one before they both disappeared. Confused, Rai looked up at the scoreboard to see that both teams had gained a point, leaving them tied at 10-10.

"Double pointer. How 'bout that." Dojo commented from his vantage point on Clay's shoulder.

"How many Shen Gong Wu are left?" Kimiko asked. Dojo was suddenly holding a small list and looking at the scoreboard. "Let's see, counting two for the Bootsu…divide by Jack…" Dojo looked up at Kimiko. "There should be one more."

"Hoo-wee, tiebreaker. I'm on the edge o' my seat." Clay said, pulling down his hood and starting to bite his nails before stopping. "You know, figuratively."

Shadow stopped in front of a large portrait of Jack on the wall. The boy was standing on a mountaintop dressed in an evil-looking command uniform and holding the Monkey Staff while grinning with superiority and lighting crackling in the background (AKA his brief fantasy from "Year of the Green Monkey"). Shadow reached up and took the painting off the wall. Behind it was a square alcove with a small black stand supporting the final Shen Gong Wu: the Pied Pipes.

Raimundo quickly looked over and saw this. "Oh no you don't! Wind!" Raimundo cupped his hands together and made a tornado again. The Pipes were sucked toward him before Shadow could touch them. Unfortunately, Rai was so focused that he didn't notice the large blue tail whack him out of the way. The Pipes slid across the ground as the Sapphire Dragon raced after them. They stopped when they bumped against another table covered with Bunsen burners, which Omi had been on the other side of. He suddenly got an idea. He jumped on top of the table and made a small wave gush forward from his Orb of Torpedo. The water extinguished the Bunsen burners and pushed them over the table to where the Dragon was rapidly approaching.

Omi's actions also threw a fair amount of soot into the air.

The Dragon stopped and recoiled as it felt its one weakness all around it; Shadow couldn't get any closer either for the same reason. As they coughed, Omi raced to the other side of the table, reached into the pile of no-longer-burning burners, and pulled out the Pied Pipes.

"Victory is ours!" Omi shouted as the scoreboard showed the final score of 11-10. The Pipes started glowing with one final flash of light and the Showdown ended.

Omi and Raimundo were left grasping the large bag of Wu in one hand each. In his other hand, Raimundo held the Cheetah Paw and Neptune Helmet while Omi balanced the Orb of Torpedo and the deactivated Sapphire Dragon (it wasn't covered with soot, but it was still back to its original form).

Kimiko ran up to Raimundo and hugged him. "You did it! You stopped the Sapphire Dragon!"

"Yup!" Rai said, looking to the artifact in Omi's hands. "That little knickknack won't be causing any more trouble anytime soon!"

A ways away, Shadow and the cats turned back to normal. The evil woman groaned and put a hand to her head. "I see the monks have succeeded." Shadow turned to see Chase walk out of the shadows. "Wh…what happened? The last thing I remember…"

"You were turned into a sapphire servant when you accidentally activated a Shen Gong Wu I had been planning for later." Chase summed up.

"Oh…"

"Though despite the plan not going quite as I expected, it was still an...interesting development." Chase said, looking at the monks as they were putting their Wu back in the Cosmic Burlap. "I suppose you have been punished enough now. Let's go."

"Right." Shadow looked back at the monks, who still hadn't noticed them, then back at Chase. After the cats had gathered around them, Chase made them all teleport back to his lair in a flash of orange.

After the monks had left, Jack and Wuya crept out from where they had been hiding. Wuya folded her ghostly arms. "You know, Jack, you really are amazing."

Jack turned to her, surprised. "Really?"

"Oh yes; after all, it really takes something to have one of the biggest advantages you've had in _years_ and lose it in a matter of _MINUTES_!" Wuya screeched.

"I kept the Toxic Orchid Serum." Jack defended, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the vial-shaped Wu. "I thought I might experiment with it later."

"You might have kept more than that if you had just cleaned your room and put away the Wu when I told you to!"

"Well what did _you_ do?" Jack retorted. "I didn't see _you_ play those sweet pipes! Oh right, you can't, you don't have any lips!"

Wuya growled. "I'll give you lip!"

While Jack and Wuya launched into another one of their famous tirades, Dojo flew through the air back to wherever the monks were currently staying. Raimundo held the Pied Pipes for a little more before putting them in the Cosmic Burlap with the rest of their Wu. "You know guys, getting our Wu back is great, but I feel like something's missing."

"A last minute shoed-in moral about the importance of cleanliness?" Dojo offered.

"No, that's not it." Raimundo said as they flew into the sunset.

* * *

 **Now for those tidbits I mentioned. The Pied Pipes are actually from Xiaolin Chronicles, specifically the episode, "Mi Temple, Mi Casa." They along with several other Shen Gong Wu magically appeared from Barky's peaches (I don't really know how that works, exactly, but whatever). None of them were used, named, or even acknowledged since. I came up with the name and power for it myself.**

 **Also, that song Jack played to call the monk's Wu to him and to tame the Sapphire Dragon? That was the music that plays during the end credits and bonus games in the Xiaolin Showdown video game on the Nintendo DS.**

 **See you next time and Happy Halloween!**


	10. S1E9: Tokyo Madness

**OMAC001-Thanks again for your encouragement!**

 **The Devious Angel- I'm glad you're still following!**

 **Remember to review!**

* * *

Kimiko stood out in the field by herself. She had her eyes closed in concentration. She put her palms together under her head. Then she opened her eyes.

"Tangle Web Comb!" Kimiko shot hair from the Wu which wrapped around some dummies the monks had set up. If they had previously been able to talk, they wouldn't have had that privilege anymore.

Kimiko twirled the Comb in her hand before narrowing her eyes. "Now for something tricky. Tangle Web Comb, Fire!" The Comb's hairy teeth stretched into the air, became thinner, and turned orange. Kimiko twirled around and covered herself with the new stretchy teeth. When she was done, her hair style had changed. Instead of her usual short pigtails, she had one long ponytail. She used her phone to look at herself. "Not bad…but not my style." Kimiko used the Comb to change her hair into a bob cut.

Clay walked up, stretching. "Mornin', ya'll."

Raimundo shushed him. He, Omi, and Ping Pong were watching Kimiko from behind a tree. "The princess is mastering her Wu." The leader snickered.

"Too bad we cannot use the Tangle Web Comb like Kimiko can, Brother Omi." Ping Pong sadly noted as he rubbed his bald head.

Kimiko tried different styles with the Fire-enhanced Comb before finally turning her hair back to normal. When she was done, she noticed Raimundo staring.

"Oop!" Rai interjected.

"Tangle Web Comb!" Kimiko shouted, stretching the teeth out towards him (but keeping them attached to the Comb). The rest of the boys got out of the way, but Raimundo just smirked and held out his Sword of Lucida. The web wrapped around the weapon.

Kimiko's eyes widened.

"Sword of Lucida."

Wind swirled around the sword and twirled the web with it, picking up Kimiko and spinning her around. Finally, Raimundo stopped and Kimiko fell to the ground.

Raimundo picked up the Tangle Web Comb from where it had fallen. "Nice try, but kinda obvious." He told the downed girl.

Kimiko grunted and stood up. "Why were you peeking?"

"I'm your leader. I am supposed to keep tabs on you guys, aren't I?"

Kimiko just mumbled before snatching the Comb out of Rai's hands and walking away.

* * *

Later, Kimiko was checking the news on her phone. One particular article caught her eye.

"Tohomiko Electronics Prepares to Unveil its Big Project." She read aloud. She saw the picture of the short Japanese man standing in front of the building looking proud.

"Dad…" Kimiko said softly. She started dialing her father's number when her screen suddenly became covered in binary numbers and error messages.

"Ugh, this again?! I thought I axed this stupid virus!" Kimiko almost threw down her phone in frustration.

"Oh Dad…" She sniffled and a tear came to her eye. Someone then handed her a tissue. She took it and blew her nose. She then saw that the giver had been Dojo, who was holding his new Master Fung plush (he had sewn the head back on after removing the camera and tracking device).

"Thanks, Dojo."

"Don't mention it. You know, you never realize you miss someone until…they're gone…and you have no idea when you 'll see them again!" Dojo began sniffling.

"I know what you mean. The last time I saw my dad was a visit a few months ago. It didn't go too well; we barely even talked! All Dad could focus on was how his big project was coming along."

"Big project?"

"Sorry, top secret. But he's been working on it for years, as long as I can remember. I got so mad at him for ignoring me, that I just got furious and left."

Dojo gasped. "You didn't even say goodbye?"

"No! The last thing I said to him was that he had no idea what he was doing. I was just upset that he was thinking about his project instead of me when we didn't know when I'd be able to visit again!"

"At least you know where your dad is…" Dojo grumbled as he slithered away.

Kimiko's eyes widened again.

' _Yes, I do know where he is, and I'm gonna go make it up to him!_ '

A little later, the boys were training while Dojo was taking a nap on the Cosmic Burlap. Kimiko pulled out her phone and sent a text message. She then felt a vibrating in her pocket. She pulled out Dojo's cell phone, which she had sent the text to. She set the phone down by the snoozing reptile before reaching into the Burlap and withdrawing the Blue Feather Eagle. She activated its power and after telling it where to go, flew away. The boys all saw this and ran over to Dojo.

"Dojo, wake up!" Raimundo exclaimed as he picked him up and shook him until he was conscious. "W-what? What's the matter?"

"Where's Kimiko going with the Eagle?"

"Kimiko? Eagle? I'm sorry…" Dojo grumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Ping Pong picked up Dojo's phone and read the text. "Gone 2 tokyo 2 c dad. B back l8r. Kim." He read aloud.

"Tokyo?" Rai echoed.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, in Jack Spicer's lab, the boy genius sat in front of a large computer terminal, his fingers clicking away at the keyboard. He scrolled through binary numbers and other techy stuff. "That's right, my little virtual disaster! Daddy's very proud!"

"And what is all that?" Wuya asked as she floated into the room. "I must admit, technology does have its uses, but this?"

"I'll have you know, this is my most devilishly digital device of destruction to date: my own virtual worm!"

Wuya tilted her head. "It doesn't look like a worm."

Jack sighed. "It's a virus. You program them and use them to crash other people's computers and junk. I already got it to download into Kimiko's cell phone. It's been giving her trouble for days now!"

"Really," Wuya said, intrigued now.

"Yup. And that's not the only way this baby's gonna be causing havoc for the Tohomikos! Once I hack into her dad's so-called 'secret project', I'll dominate the digital domain! _And steal a couple million friends while I'm at it_."

"Hmm…" Wuya said, slowly smiling. "Very well, keep at this 'worm' thing of yours." She flew out of the room. "Who knows what else Jack can do with his fingers?"

Behind her, Jack briefly picked his nose before continuing.

* * *

The Blue Feather Eagle flew in-between the skyscrapers of Tokyo until it finally came to the right one: Tohomiko Electronics.

Inside, Toshiro Tohomiko was in his office, looking at a photograph of a younger Kimiko holding a small blue stuffed bear. He sighed.

"Papa?"

Toshiro turned to see his daughter standing there. "Kimiko?"

"Papa!"

"Kimiko!"

The two ran at each other and hugged.

"Oh Papa/Kimiko, I'm so sorry about last time!" The two said simultaneously. Their eyes widened and they broke the embrace. "No, I'm the one who should be sorry!" They again said at the same time. "No, really, it was my fault! Okay, you can stop that now!" The two laughed before Kimiko spoke. "Oh Papa, I'm sorry I just left last time!"

Toshiro put his hand on her shoulder. "It was my fault for driving you away. I should have payed more attention to your visit."

Kimiko smiled. "So we're cool?"

Her dad hugged her again. "Of course, Kimiko. I love you." Kimiko noticed the picture on her dad's desk before returning his hug. She then noticed something else.

"Is that the Moshi Moshi Bear I had when I was a kid?" Kimiko asked, pointing to the small blue stuffed bear on the desk that was the same as the one in the photo.

"Of course, I have always kept it! I'll never forget how happy you were when I gave this to you on your fifth birthday!" Toshiro's eyebrows shot up in a playful manner. "Remember what I used to call you back then?"

Kimiko giggled. "'The Bug Catcher.'"

"That's right, you were a little protégé beta tester even at five years old!" Toshiro said.

That reminded Kimiko of something. "I saw the news article about the Big Project. Is it finally done?"

"Yes!" The tycoon exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders. "After years and years, it's finally complete and ready for the public!"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "You've tested it, right?"

"Actually, I have yet to take the maiden voyage…because I wanted _you_ to accompany me."

"Me?"

"Yes, you! After all, you're the reason Digital Tokyo is finally seeing the virtual light of day!"

"I am? How?"

"Come with me, and I'll explain." Toshiro led Kimiko through his building into a restricted area. Several scientists in biohazard suits were typing on consoles and such.

"Why are they dressed like that?"

"Because it looks creepier." Toshiro said with a chuckle.

Kimiko smiled and rolled her eyes. ' _That's my dad_.'

Toshiro came to a computer and entered his top-secret password. What looked to be a pixelated version of Tokyo showed up on the screen.

"As you know, Kimiko, ever since you were a little girl, I've been trying to create the ultimate video game experience: a digital world; a literal virtual reality for people to walk through and explore, starting with our proud Tokyo!"

"Yeah Dad, I know. It's been a side project of yours since forever. It's a cool idea, but I don't know how you finally made it possible."

Toshiro smiled and pressed another button. Diagrams for a large cylindrical machine started showing up on the screen.

"This is the database for my virtual city, and _this_ is the heart of it."

With another button press, Kimiko was looking at a rotating image of…

"A rock?"

"This isn't just _any_ rock, Kimiko, this igneous rock came from an ancient volcano, sort of a…magical talisman. And that's not just tourist trap talk either! This rock does indeed supply some kind of strange energy, practically life giving. And it's this energy that ties the whole project together! Without this rock, Digital Tokyo wouldn't be possible." Toshiro turned to his daughter. "And I have _you_ to thank for it!"

"But why me?" Kimiko asked, still confused.

Her dad ruffled her hair. "Because my daughter is a Xiaolin monk who hunts for ancient mystical objects and can shoot fire from her hands! If not for you and your adventures, I would have never considered a magical solution!"

Kimiko laughed and fixed her hair. "So it's ready now?"

"Yes, and I'd be honored if you would be the first to accompany me."

After Kimiko accepted, her father led her down to a room in the lower levels of his building. The room was filled with chairs with virtual reality helmets wired over them. Most of the chairs were covered with blankets, but there were two uncovered ones.

"Have a seat." Toshiro instructed, and Kimiko did. After they both sat down, Toshiro pressed a button on his armrest and the helmet lowered onto his head. "When you're ready, press the orange button on your left. See you inside!" Glowing lines appeared on the helmet and Toshiro went still.

Kimiko looked at him before turning to her left and pressing the large orange button. The helmet lowered onto her head.

Kimiko saw only blackness as she felt a strange sensation all over her body. It felt very similar to when she hooked the Mind Reader Conch and Eye of Dashi to her PDA and projected her mind into cyberspace before.

"Kimiko?"

"Dad?" She looked around. "Where are you? I can't see anything!"

She heard her dad laugh. "That's because your helmet's still on."

"Huh?" Kimiko lifted her helmet off of her head to see her father standing there. "What happened? It didn't work?"

"Oh, it worked, Kimiko. Just look at us." Kimiko noticed that her dad's usual outfit had been replaced with a black jumpsuit covered in white TRON-like designs. She looked down to see that she too was wearing a jumpsuit, this one covered in purple lines. She stood up to examine herself. "Whoa…"

"Don't start whoa-ing until you see rest of it." Toshiro chuckled as he motioned for Kimiko to follow him. The room they were in was very similar to the one they were just in, but all the chairs were uncovered and the room looked overall more colorful.

Toshiro put his hand on the doorknob. He turned to Kimiko and flashed her a big toothy grin before opening the door. Kimiko stepped outside and her jaw dropped.

It was Tokyo…only it wasn't. It was like Kimiko had stepped into a console game. The buildings were Technicolor and everything just looked blocky.

"Dad, this is awesome! You actually did it!" Kimiko exclaimed as she took in the digital sight. She ran and twirled through the street before she noticed a raccoon-like creature approach her. She gasped. "Is that…Momo Mokachu? My virtual pet tanuki? I stopped playing with him ages ago!"

Toshiro chuckled. "I'll admit, it wasn't easy adapting Momo's data for my Digital Tokyo, but the igneous rock made it happen!"

Kimiko hugged the pixelated animal before it scampered away. "Dad, this is _so_ much cooler than I expected!"

"And it's about to get cooler! It'll take some more development, but eventually people will actually be able to live in here!"

"Wh-for real?" Kimiko asked, startled.

"Yes. Thanks to its mystical power core, people's minds will be able to enter a sort of limbo, making it possible to remain here indefinitely! We're entering the digital age, sweetheart! The line between real and unreal is getting blurrier every day!"

"…I'm not so sure about this, Dad. I mean this is super-cool and all, but completely merging two different worlds together doesn't seem like such a good idea. I mean just because you _can_ do something, it doesn't mean you _should_."

"Don't worry, Kimiko, it's perfectly safe. I have things completely under control."

Suddenly, Kimiko and Toshiro felt a quaking under their feet. "What was that?" Kimiko demanded.

"Just a few bugs with the firewall, nothing major. Like I said, under control." Toshiro insisted, his voice ringing with confidence. They felt another shake. "But all the same, how about we go back now?"

Kimiko agreed. The two went back into the digital version of Tohomiko Electronics and sat back down in the virtual chairs.

"Again, it's the orange button." Toshiro said. Kimiko nodded and they both pressed the buttons to have their minds exit the datascape.

* * *

After the rest of the monks learned that Kimiko had gone to Tokyo, they immediately hopped on Dojo and flew there. As they were passing over the city, the monks (most of whom still weren't used to such a bustling metropolis) took in the sights.

"The city's so big…why don't we take some down time here after we find Kimiko?" Rai proposed. "I mean there's still so much to do here. We could take some tours, eat some local delicacies…"

"Find a new Shen Gong Wu…" Dojo said.

"No, not that, that's just another day at the-" Rai looked to see that Dojo was twitching. He sighed and pulled out the scroll. "What do we got?"

"It's called the Honey Badger. It's a pretty odd one."

They looked at the scroll. A monk faced a figure in a robe holding a staff. The enemy waved his staff and the image zoomed in on the monk as abstract shapes appeared all around him. He pulled out a small badger-like object and the shapes were sucked into its mouth.

"The Badger feeds on illusionary magic; you know, when you see things that aren't actually there?" Dojo explained. The scroll image zoomed out to show the wizard again. The wizard conjured up an image of a large monster with claws and horns and a ghostly tail instead of legs.

"And the more magic it feeds on, the more powerful it gets, eventually being able to transform what's unreal real and vice versa." The Badger shot out a beam that struck the monster. The beast sprouted legs and landed on the ground. It turned to the wizard, who ran away in fright with the monster following. The image zoomed in on the monk again, who held up the Honey Badger in one hand, gave a thumbs-up with his other hand, and grinned.

Raimundo closed the scroll. "Looks like this one can be pretty powerful."

Dojo shrugged. "Eh, maybe back in the old days, but no one uses real illusion magic anymore. Nowadays it's all about fancy-schmancy smoke and mirrors." Dojo scoffed. "Anyway, this Shen Gong Wu's pretty worthless in modern times. Wanna just skip it and find Kimiko?"

Raimundo thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, let's get it. Where is it?"

"Not too far actually, it's here in the city." Dojo flew for a minute more before coming to a temple-like establishment.

"This is the place, alright. The varmint Jack's already here." Clay said, pounding his fist into his palm.

Indeed, Jack was standing there with several of his old-school Ninja-Bots ready for them. Omi leapt off of Dojo as he shrank down. "Jack Spicer, we shall fight you and your robots blindfolded!"

Raimundo joined him. "Good idea. To make it really fair, let's tie our hands behind our backs, too."

"Oh sure, laugh it up." Jack said. "But you never know when I'm gonna get the _drop_ on you!"

The monks barely had time to process Jack's words before they heard a deep voice shout, "Mantis Flip Coin!" They looked up to see Tubbimura fall from the sky, smooshing everyone under his fat body except for Omi.

"Oh yeah! Tubbi Bomb, baby!" Jack laughed as he ran into the temple. Omi started after him, but he was quickly surrounded by Ninja Bots. Omi growled before starting to smash them all to pieces.

Jack entered the building, which was filled with all sorts of ninja gear and artifacts on pedestals. One of them proclaimed the Honey Badger for all to see. It was a yellow-and-brown badger with a black nose. Its eyes and tail were green and a green design was on its head.

Jack stepped on the hardwood floor. When he did, he heard a chirping sound. He gasped. "This must be one of those 'nightingale floors' they use for security! Well fat lot of good that'll do when I can fly!" Jack activated his Heli-Bot, flew over to the Honey Badger, picked it up, and flew back out of the temple.

He soared over Omi just as he finished destroying the Ninja-Bots. As Jack flew off, Tubbimura got up and made his leave too. Omi ran over to where Rai, Clay, Ping Pong, and Dojo were pulling themselves out of the dirt. "Jack Spicer has gotten away with the Honey Badger!"

Dojo got up and pressed against his back, making a cracking sound. "I wouldn't worry about it. Like I said, the Honey Badger just swallows illusion magic. Jack won't even be able to use it!"

"If you say so." Rai said, looking back to where Jack had gone. "Let's go find Kimiko."

* * *

Kimiko got out of the machine and stood up on her real feet in her real clothes.

After stretching for a moment, she and her dad went back to the research room he showed her before. "I'm still not so sure about all this, Papa."

"What's to be unsure about? Digital Tokyo is mine to control. Plus everyone will enjoy it! You worry too much, sweetheart."

"Yeah, it's cool, but it's also very powerful, and if I've learned anything from fighting over Shen Gong Wu, it's that anything powerful can be used for evil." Kimiko hesitated. "Maybe you should consider…shutting it down?"

"What?" Toshiro whirled to face his daughter. "Kimiko, you know how much this project means to me! It's my baby; my life's work! Shutdown in NOT an option." Toshiro declared, actually sounding stern, a rare thing for him.

Suddenly, they felt quaking below them. Every video monitor in the room turned on, first showing static, but then the picture cleared to show a very familiar face on each screen.

"Moshi Moshi, Tohomiko! You've just been hacked by Jack Spicer, evil boy genius!"

"Spicer?! Dad, that's the guy who was with PandaBubba when he took over the company, remember?" Kimiko asked him.

"Yes, I recognize him. But how did he-"

"If you're wondering how I hacked into your system, you're not the only one who can program, you know! Gotta say, pret-ty sweet setup you got here. A whole new virtual world, or should I say _my_ whole new virtual world! Hahaha!"

"Jack's jacked your city!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"And with this little baby," Jack paused to hold up the Honey Badger. "I'll rule the world by turning virtual reality into real reality, for real!"

"A new Shen Gong Wu? When did he get that?" Kimiko asked herself.

Toshiro ran over to the dashboard and started pressing buttons.

"By the way, don't bother trying to remotely activate the kill command…"

Toshiro pressed some more buttons before slamming his fist on the panel in frustration.

"It's a zombie! Welp, love to stay and gloat some more, and I really mean that, but I got a city to wreck! See ya!" The monitors went back to static before shutting off.

Toshiro collapsed into a chair.

"Dad, I know you, you must have programmed some emergency features into this thing." Kimiko said.

"Well…there is a manual backup command inside a black box…"

"But?"

Toshiro winced. "But I programmed it _into_ the virtual world! You can only access it from inside. I'll go back in and see if I can stop Jack…"

Kimiko rushed in front of him. "No Papa, that's my job. I'm the Bug Catcher, remember? And Spicer's my favorite bug to catch!"

Toshiro smiled. "That's my girl. The box is in the-"

Kimiko quickly clapped a hand over her father's mouth. "Don't tell me where it is. Jack's hacked into the whole system, he could be listening. Don't worry, I'll find it."

"I know you will, but there's something I _must_ tell you. Once you find the black box and enter the password, I'm sure you'll figure that out too, you'll have two options: 'Delete' and 'Reboot'. If you choose 'Reboot', the whole system will be reset. But thanks to the life-sustaining energies flowing through the game from the rock, your mind could also be permanently incorporated into the system. I can't log you out remotely because my controls no longer work, so you'll have to make it back to the chairs and log yourself out before it's too late.

"And the other option?" Kimiko asked, though she already had a pretty good idea what it was.

Toshiro sighed. "'Delete'. If you choose that one, the system will automatically log out all users…" Toshiro looked up. "But then the entire database will be erased; completely wiped clean."

Toshiro avoided his daughter's gaze. "I'll leave it up to you to decide which one."

The Tohomikos felt another rumbling under their feet. "Right, better get going." Toshiro said as he and Kimiko went back to the log-in room.

"Can you give me any weapons?" Kimiko asked curiously. "I can't exactly bring my Shen Gong Wu in there with me."

"I'll give you a bike you can ride. As for weapons, well… this feature is mainly for construction and such, but I suppose it'll work…"

"What?"

"I can program in a cybernetic rope you can shoot out of your wrists, to tie up your enemies and such. How's that?"

Kimiko grinned. "Perfect. Don't worry, Dad, kicking Spicer's butt is practically in my job description."

Toshiro smiled. "And I'll talk you through the whole thing. I love you, Kimiko."

"Love you too, Papa." Kimiko said. After her dad made the necessary adjustments to her avatar, she sat back down in the chair, put the helmet on her head, and pressed the button. Her body went still.

Toshiro went back to the control room and was about to open up the communications that were programmed into every cyber-suit when he heard a female voice from his intercom.

"Mr. Tohomiko, you have visitors, they say it's important."

"Not now, I'm busy!"

"They say they're friends of your daughter?"

Toshiro gasped. "The other Xiaolin Warriors! Send them down to me, give them top clearance!"

"Yes sir."

A few seconds later, the other monks and Dojo entered the room. "Xiaolin Warriors, nice to see you again." Toshiro greeted.

"You too, Mr. Tohomiko." Raimundo replied. "Is Kimiko here?"

"Yes and no. She's trying to stop that Spicer fellow!"

"Spicer?!" The others exclaimed. "What's he done?" Raimundo asked.

"I've created a virtual reality Digital Tokyo that you can project your mind into and explore. Somehow, Spicer has taken over, and he says he'll use one of your magic weapons to turn virtual reality into reality, though I don't see how that's possible."

"The Honey Badger!" Rai exclaimed.

"But how can he use that here? The Badger just absorbs illusions, remember?" Dojo reminded them.

Rai thought for a moment before saying, "What about modern day illusions?"

The others voiced their confusion.

"You know, holograms, digital images, data! You think the Honey Badger's power could work for those, too?"

Dojo put a claw to his chin, then his eyes widened. "It might."

"So yer sayin' that the Honey Badger's also a data cruncher?" Clay asked. He then whispered to Raimundo, "Did I say that right?"

"Apparently!" Dojo answered. "And this 'virtual Tokyo' of yours, it's an exact replica of the real Tokyo?"

"Basically." Toshiro answered.

"Hoo boy." Dojo pulled out the scroll and turned to the Honey Badger section again. "This is all still up in the air, but if Jack _can_ use the Badger to make data real, he can make whatever he does in the digital world happen in the real world, you know, like mirror effects."

"Mirror effects?" Toshiro questioned. Everyone felt another rumbling in the ground.

"Look!" Ping Pong shouted, pointing to the window. The others looked to see that a building outside was disappearing into pixel-like bits. Within a minute, it was gone completely.

"Yup, mirror effects." Dojo reiterated as the others gawked. Toshiro quickly raced to the intercom. "Hopefully none of my workers saw that…" he said as he pressed the button to make his voice go through the whole building. "Pay no attention to these minor earth tremors everyone...this is Japan, happens all the time, heh heh…" Toshiro turned off the intercom and wiped the sweat off his brow. "We don't need this whole company panicking." He told the monks.

"Ye-ah. So where's Kimiko?" Raimundo asked again.

"She sent her mind into the virtual world to stop Spicer. I can pull up how she's doing…" Toshiro pressed a few buttons on the dashboard and Digital Tokyo appeared on the screen.

"Now where is-Aha! There she is!" Toshiro cried as he found his daughter.

Kimiko was back in her black purple-decorated TRON-like jumpsuit, which now included a hood that covered her face except for her eyes and a purple chest emblem of a diamond-shaped insect: her 'Bug Catcher' emblem that she wore when she was Daddy's Little Beta Tester.

Kimiko was riding on a black motorbike that had one wheel and left a purple trail of light behind her. She raced through the computer-generated city until she spotted Jack. The evil kid was standing in front of a noodle restaurant. He held up the Honey Badger and it fired a jet of pixelated flame from its mouth that destroyed the rooftop sculpture of a bowl of noodles and replaced it with a replica of a classic Jack-Bot's head.

"There, this is a good place for a robot store." Jack said approvingly. He heard the revving of the bike and turned to Kimiko. Jack was in a black jumpsuit similar to hers, but his had glowing orange lights on it instead of purple.

"Well well, you came quicker than I expected, Kimiko." Jack said with confidence in his voice. "You diggin' these threads? Like they say, clothes make the villain." Jack said, striking a few poses.

Kimiko jumped off the bike. "Jack Spicer! Why did you hack into my father's system, how did you even get in here, and how did you bring a Shen Gong Wu with you?"

"In order: to take over Tokyo, that's my little secret, and this baby can make what's real unreal, you think it was a problem bringing this in here?"

Kimiko smiled. "Well Jack, redesigning buildings isn't exactly gonna help you against me now, is it?"

"No, but this will. Honey Badger!" Jack held up the Wu and it shot more pixel flame into the air. "Behold, the beauty that allowed me to hack into this computer-generated paradise in the first place…my virus!"

Kimiko stepped back as a large floppy form took shape before her. It was black with green circuit patterns all over it. Kimiko could see a mouth with sharp teeth and a large green eye opened up. The monster let out a roar.

Jack snickered. "Worm-like enough for you now, Wuya?"

The virus set its eye on Kimiko, who actually gulped.

"Doom-Worm, finish her off." Jack nonchalantly said as he casually waved a hand in her direction.

' _Kimiko, are you alright in there?_ ' Kimiko heard her dad say.

"I got this, Papa. Don't worry, I'll save your system."

Kimiko jumped out of the way as the giant worm lunged at her. It smashed into a building before turning towards her. Kimiko held out her wrist. She thought the fire command and a glowing purple rope shot out. It wrapped snugly around the worm's neck, making it look like an earthworm. The thing growled and came at her again. Kimiko started running. She suddenly ran back and flipped over the worm. As its head circled back to follow her, Kimiko fired her rope again, which wrapped around both the head and part of its lower region, tying them together. Kimiko fired more rope which did the same thing to other parts of its body until the sentient virus was folded up and lying on the ground, unable to move.

Kimiko turned back to Jack with a smirk. "Was that all you got, Worm Boy?"

Jack returned her smirk. "Oh Kimiko, you're such a techy, don't you know the first thing about computer viruses?"

The Doom-Worm started grunting. Suddenly, multiple smaller worms came out of the exposed parts of its body.

"They multiply like crazy!" Jack finished with a cackle. Kimiko faced the many approaching worms. She shot more cybernetic rope at them, but they just slipped out of it. Kimiko took her fighting pose. "Old-school it is then. Well, as old-school as this whole thing can get." Kimiko said while looking around. She leapt in and started attacking the worms. They didn't put up much of a fight and just let themselves be slapped around. However, one worm snuck up behind her and jumped at her, absorbing itself into her jumpsuit. Kimiko looked surprised from the impact, and then saw her suit flash red. "Hello? Dad?"

Back in the real world, a message showed up on screen.

ERROR: LOST CONTACT

"Kimiko, no!" Toshiro cried as he attempted to reestablish the connection with no luck. He buried his head in his hands. "Oh, what have I done? Thanks to this stupid project, I've put my daughter _and_ my city in danger!"

Raimundo put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mr. Tohomiko. We'll save both of them. Right, gang?" He asked his friends. They all answered yes. Rai looked back to Toshiro. "Log us in."

Toshiro sniffled and nodded. Later, he had taken the tarps off of four seats so Rai, Omi, Clay, and Ping Pong could join the game. After explaining what to do, the monks pressed the buttons and were mentally transported into the game.

The monks all looked themselves over. They were all wearing the same black jumpsuit as Kimiko was with the Bug Catcher symbol on it. Omi's jumpsuit had dark-blue patterns on it, Raimundo's had light-blue, Clay had yellow (complete with a cowboy hat made of the same material as the rest of it) and Ping Pong green.

"Not quite as noble as our Showdown outfits." Omi observed.

"Never mind that, let's find Kimiko." Rai said. They stepped outside and took in the sight.

"Look at this place." Raimundo said.

"Magnifique…" Ping Pong breathed.

"I'd go so far as to say cyberspace is as big as Texas…well almost." Clay admitted.

"Now how do we find Kimiko?" Ping Pong pondered.

The gang heard a roar and looked to see a giant black worm in the distance.

"Follow the chaos, I suppose." Clay shrugged.

The Doom-Worm had broken free from its confinement, and with her suit's functions disabled due to the virus Kimiko couldn't tie it up again. She found herself backed up into an alley as the worm with Jack on its back and the little worms around it cornered her.

Jack laughed. "Time to kiss your pretty virtual girl butt goodbye!"

Kimiko looked past the worm to see several familiar forms approaching them. She smiled under her hood. "I was about to say the same thing to you."

After a second of looking both confused and offended at the same time, Jack heard a voice.

"Jack Spicer! Surrender now, or suffer a most humiliating defeat!"

Jack sighed. "Why does that voice have an annoying familiar ring to it?"

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Jack and the worms turned back to see the other monks running up to them. The small ones raced to meet them, but the monks shot out their own coils from their wrists (each their respective jumpsuit colors), most of them tying up two worms at once so they couldn't get up.

The Doom-Worm roared and started at them itself. Kimiko raced back to her bike. "Thanks, guys! I could use some help! Keep that oversized creepy-crawly busy while I find the black box to fix everything, okay?"

"You go, girl!" Raimundo shouted back. "We got things here!"

Kimiko nodded before riding off.

Kimiko raced through the city, looking left and right. ' _Come on, Dad. Where would you hide the black box?_ '

While Kimiko started racking her head for ideas, a large burst of digital fire appeared in front of her. Kimiko skidded to a stop. When the fire cleared, there stood a large green oddly-dressed monster with red eyes and sharp teeth.

Kimiko leapt off her bike and struck a fighting pose. "Listen up, you old hag! I can take whatever Spicer can throw at me, so just get out of the way before I wipe your hard drive, okay?"

The only response the monster gave was raising its left arm towards the building next to it. Raising an eyebrow, Kimiko looked to see that it was a toy store called Bear Town, specializing in Moshi Moshi Bears.

"Why are you-" Kimiko looked back to see that the monster had vanished. Wondering if the whole thing was just a glitch, Kimiko turned her attention towards the building again. Suddenly it dawned on her.

Kimiko ran into the building. Inside were many Moshi Moshi Bears, but she looked for one in particular. There! On the top row on one of the shelves stood Kimiko's childhood toy, sitting atop…

"The box!" Kimiko reached up and took the black box off the shelves. She turned to walk back outside only to see a single large green eyeball staring at her. The Doom-Worm touched the store wall and made it crumble into green pixels. It lunged at Kimiko only for the Dragon of Fire to dodge and run back out to the street. As the worm came back, it was kicked in the head by Omi.

"Monkey Catching Clouds!" Omi shouted. Raimundo then gave it an uppercut while exclaiming, "Snake Smiling Brightly!" Clay then arrived with another punch and a cry of "Alligator Smashing Bubbles!" Ping Pong just did his best with some beginner moves such as "Tiger Swipe!" and "Lotus Palm Strike!"

While her friends kept the Doom-Worm busy, Kimiko set down the black box and pressed the button to open it. A holographic screen came up asking for a six-letter password.

"Right, Dad mentioned a password. What could it be…?" Kimiko said to herself. Meanwhile, the Doom-Worm used its tail like a whip to smack Raimundo into Clay.

The Dragon of Fire tried the first password she thought of.

K-I-M-I-K-O

 _INCORRECT PASSWORD_

Ping Pong leapt on the worm's back and started pounding it with his tiny fists, but the virus just bucked him off; he landed on the advancing Omi.

Kimiko furrowed her brow before trying again.

T-O-M-O-K-O

 _INCORRECT PASSWORD_

Kimiko let out a sigh of relief that _that_ name hadn't been used instead of hers. That wasn't helping her stop Jack though. "Come on, of course he's not gonna use a family member's name as a password! That's the first thing they try! But what could it be? Let's see, the box was hidden under my-"

' _Of course, I have always kept it! I'll never forget how happy you were when you received it on your fifth birthday!_ '

Kimiko tried one more time.

M-O-S-H-I-5

 _PASSWORD ACCEPTED_

"Yes, I'm in!" Kimiko said happily. Two holographic buttons floated up to her: a green one with a power symbol on it and a red one with an X on it.

"'Reboot' or 'Delete'?" Kimiko pondered. She remembered what her dad said about each button; if she clicked 'Delete', she and her friends would instantly leave the game as it was erased. On the other hand, 'Reboot' would preserve the system, but their minds might be assimilated into the virtual world if they didn't get out in time.

Behind her, the Doom-Worm had overpowered her friends and was sneaking up on her. It opened its wide maw just as Kimiko made her decision.

After Kimiko pressed the button, the Doom-Worm stopped, shuddered, and then disappeared into pixels.

"My virus! No!" Jack cried from around a street corner where he was cowering.

"You did it, Kimiko!" Ping Pong exclaimed.

"Didn't doubt ya for a minute!" Raimundo added.

Kimiko turned to them. "Don't thank me yet. I clicked 'Reboot'. If we don't get out of the game before the system completely resets itself, we'll become part of it." She went to her bike and mounted it. "Hop on!" The others quickly piled on the back of Kimiko's bike.

"Hey, wait a minute! What about me?" Jack asked. "You're not just gonna leave me here, are ya?"

Kimiko raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, I love this place, but I don't wanna be stuck here forever!" Jack fell on his knees. "Please! Think about all the bad times we've had together."

Kimiko smirked and flipped off the bike to in front of Jack. "See Jack, here's the thing. Monks ride free, but evil boy geniuses require a small fine." She held out her hand. "Of one virtual Shen Gong Wu."

"Wha-but-" Jack's protests were cut off as the sky turned green. The system was rebooting.

"Okay, fine!" He shouted, handing her the Honey Badger. "Now can you get me out of here?"

Kimiko smiled and put the Badger in her pocket. "Hop on."

Jack climbed onto the back, specifically Clay's.

"Watch it, Spicer." The cowboy warned as Jack's nails dug into his skin.

Kimiko got back in the driver's seat. "Hang on!" She revved up the bike and sped off.

' _Kimiko, sweetie, can you hear me?!_ '

"Dad? Don't worry, we're on our way out!"

' _Hurry! You've only got half a minute left!_ '

"On it, Papa!" Kimiko skidded to a stop in front of the virtual Tohomiko Electronics. "Everyone in!" Kimiko instructed as all the monks (and Jack) raced in. They all sat down in their seats and pressed the buttons to leave just as a voice said, _SYSTEM REBOOTING 98%...99%...100%_.

Kimiko took the helmet off her head to see that she was back in the real company building and not stuck inside a computer game for the rest of her life. She quickly noticed the Honey Badger sitting in her lap. She smiled before standing up and putting it in her pocket; a split second later, she was engulfed by her father.

"Oh, Kimiko, I was so worried!" he cried.

"Daaad! You're embarrassing me in front of my friends!" Kimiko said in a whining tone yet with a huge smile on her face. Behind them, Dojo was checking on the other monks.

"Oh no! I see only darkness! I am trapped in the game! AAAAHHH!" Omi cried.

"Your helmet's still on, dude." Raimundo said while trying not to burst out laughing.

"Oh." Omi took off the helmet and chuckled sheepishly. "My mistake."

They heard grunting and thrashing and turned to see Jack wrestling the tarp off the seat he had been using.

"So _that's_ how you snuck into the virtual world." Kimiko said, narrowing her eyes.

"Heh heh. Guess you, uh, figured me out." Jack mumbled. Everyone glared at him. "…Bye." He said before dashing out the door.

Toshiro and the monks all walked back into the main control room. "Well, that was hairy, but your Big Project is safe, Dad." Kimiko said happily. Toshiro frowned and put his hand to his chin, the smiled. He went over to the control panel and typed in some codes. He turned to Kimiko, flashed her a big toothy grin, and pressed the button.

A large message box came up on the screen.

ALL DATA DELETED. DATABASE WIPED 100%.

"Dad!" Kimiko said in shock.

"Just because I _can_ , doesn't mean I _should_." He said.

"Oh Papa…I'm so sorry, you lost your baby."

Toshiro hugged her again. "No. I _almost_ lost my baby. You're worth more to me than any dumb project."

Kimiko hugged him back. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too, my little Xiaolin monk."

"…Should we leave?" Raimundo whispered to the others.

* * *

Later, the monks were boarding Dojo, ready to leave. As expected, Kimiko was the last to get on.

"So what are you gonna tell the media? They were hyped as heck over the Big Project."

Toshiro shrugged. "I'll just tell them some something went wrong and we accidentally wiped the entire system. Sure, that's not _exactly_ what happened, but I don't think anyone will believe what really happened."

Kimiko chuckled. "Story of my life."

"I have one last thing for you." Toshiro signaled two of his workers, who walked up holding a metal case. Toshiro opened it, revealing a black rock with odd transparent formations on top.

"Is that the magic rock that made the Project possible?" Kimiko asked.

Toshiro nodded and held it out to her. "Just so I'm not tempted to start this whole thing all over again, I want you to have it."

Kimiko smiled before taking the rock. "Thanks, Dad. A one-of-a-kind rock from a one-of-a-kind Papa!" Kimiko climbed on Dojo. "Bye Dad!"

"Bye Sweetie! Come back soon!" Toshiro called out as Dojo took off.

"There really is never a dull moment with you kids, is there?" Dojo asked as they flew.

"Don't look like it." Clay answered.

Kimiko didn't say anything as she held her rock, feeling the fiery passion she had for her city, her friends, and her family.


	11. S1E10: Laws of Nature

**OMAC001-Thanks again and I hope you'll find this next chapter satisfactory.**

 **Nimwen16-Thank you so much for the fave and follow!**

 **R &R and remember to thank your veterans!**

* * *

Chase Young walked stood outside his mountain lair, on the cliff overlooking the Land of Nowhere. It was nighttime and the moon was full. Chase held up a bowl of an ancient mystical substance; it wasn't the Lao Mang Lone Soup, this concoction was of a different nature entirely. It was also VERY hard to gather the ingredients for, so Chase just had to hope this would work like he wanted to.

Not that Chase Young ever had to "hope" for anything.

Chase looked at his reflection in the bowl before drinking the whole thing. When he was done, his hands suddenly cramped, dropping the bowl into the abyss below. Chase morphed into his reptilian form and roared in agony, a sound that could be heard for miles. Chase's arms suddenly started moving of their own accord. His left arm rose into the air and glowed with an eerie green light.

Suddenly, without Chase being able to control it, he thrust his arm into his chest, the limb just passing through like the skin was water. Chase grunted with pain before he thrust his claw back out, which was now clutching one of his own ribs.

In his hand, the bone changed shape, morphing into a silvery clam shell. The shell opened, showing a tiny baby girl cooing inside. Chase turned and set the newborn on the ground. The girl was suddenly covered in a black aura and started to rapidly age. The shell turned purple and wrapped around her body, giving her clothes, specifically a set of purple battle armor and a headband with a yin-yang symbol on it. When it was done, a young blue-haired woman stood before Chase. She opened her eyes; they were yellow with black slits, just like his.

Chase turned human again and spoke. "You are Shadow."

"I am Shadow." She repeated.

"You are a piece of me."

"I am a piece of you."

"Together, we shall bring evil to a new level, and rule the world side by side."

The woman gave a wicked smile. "Bring evil…rule side by side."

Chase matched her look. "Exactly."

The image turned murky and faded from the Heylin Eyeball.

"So that's how I was born…" Shadow said, having witnessed the whole thing.

"Yes." Chase, who was standing next to her, confirmed.

Shadow smirked. "Telling me you're my Papa hardly seems appropriate. I practically _am_ you."

Chase held her chin and started sending telepathic signals into her mind. " _In a way, you are. You are the part of me that thirsts for power, the part that's restless when there is evil to be done, the part of me that is not afraid to embrace darkness. Omi, Jack, Wuya…they all failed as my partners and apprentices. You are my future, and we shall embrace our destiny together._ "

Shadow smiled. "But first we have to deal with those pesky monks."

"Indeed. They tend to put their very lives on the line for the sake of others even when it will not benefit them. Speaking of which…"

Chase waved his hand over the Eyeball, which changed to show what one of his crow spies was seeing. A small village was on fire, and the five Xiaolin monks stood in the middle of it.

"Shoku Rocket Formation!" the first four shouted while getting into position. This time, Raimundo was in the middle. He squatted while holding his palms up, supporting Omi who balanced in Rai's hands upside-down like he once did with Kimiko. Clay now took Raimundo's previous position on the right side while Kimiko was on the left. The four monks turned into black silhouettes with different-colored outlines: Raimundo's was white, Omi's was blue, Kimiko's was red, and Clay's was orange-brown.

Raimundo let go of Omi with one hand and clutched his other. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo made a small tornado around himself, spun Omi around, and threw him into the air. "Shoku Neptune, Water!" While in the air, Omi twirled around and spread water everywhere like a sprinkler, dousing a generous portion of the fire.

Raimundo stood his ground and crossed his arms. "Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo unfolded his arms and the air around them roared as it spun around, not enough to harm the buildings, but putting out even more of the fire.

"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko held her arms out and controlled the fire that wasn't in range of the windstorm by pulling it in range so it could be blown out.

When the last of the fire had been extinguished, Omi, having landed safely, met back up with the others, who all gave each other high fives (still in their powered-up forms) at saving the village before it was wiped off the map. Ping Pong had just watched with an amazed look on his face.

Chase, overlooking the whole thing, scoffed. "Such risk and exertion, and for what?" He then smiled creepily. "They shall be the first to feel the power of my new weapon."

"New weapon?" Shadow asked. "Why is this news to me?"

"It's taken me a long time to track down this creature, and even longer to cultivate its powers to the point of satisfaction. Behold…" Chase withdrew a small white crystal. He positioned it over the Eyeball. The Eye shot evil green energy which took hold of the crystal from Chase. The crystal cracked and shattered, revealing a small orange creature that the green energy kept levitated over the Eyeball.

After getting a good look at it, Shadow raised an eyebrow. "A shrimp?"

"A Tiger Shrimp. And no, this is not your average seafood special." Chase snapped his fingers. One of his crows fluttered down carrying a scroll in its talons which it dropped into Chase's awaiting hand.

"You see, Shadow, in times long past, far predating the dawn of humankind…" Chase opened the scroll to show an ancient drawing of a tidal wave. Around it were lightning-filled storm clouds and cracking ground. Within the tidal wave were several vicious-looking cat-like creatures with lobster claws and shrimp tails.

"…the Tiger Shrimp were some of the most powerful creatures on the planet, able to control the weather and alter the ecological balances of the world through sheer will." Chase closed the scroll. "Or so the legend goes."

"And this puny thing is one of them?" Shadow gestured to the floating crustacean.

"Through the ages, the Tiger Shrimp devolved until they looked no different than other aptly-titled shrimp. Fortunately, the ancient power still remains, however faint, and in the right-or wrong-hands, it can change everything."

"Ooh, I'm starting to like this thing." Shadow said.

"Then you will also enjoy what it is capable of. Observe." Chase held his hand over the animal and the hand started glowing with white energy. The surface of the Heylin Eyeball, which still showed the monks, rippled like water.

The still supercharged monks were almost knocked off their feet by rumbling in the ground. They quickly deduced that the cause was an earthquake when they saw cracks forming all around them.

"Clay," Rai started.

"On it, partner." The cowboy answered, way ahead of him. "Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" Clay stomped the ground to use his upped Xiaolin powers to counter the natural.

Unbeknownst to him, this wasn't natural. Chase smirked and turned it up a little.

The earthquake persisted and Clay was knocked onto his bottom, causing him as well as Rai, Omi, and Kimiko to turn back to normal. The monks couldn't do anything as the scorched buildings started coming down. Dojo quickly expanded and carried the monks into the air; they looked down to see the village crumble to dust. Clay looked the most down.

Raimundo noticed this. "It's not your fault, dude."

"I coulda stopped it…" The Dragon of Earth mumbled.

"At least the village had been evacuated," Kimiko said, trying to lift his spirits. "No one got hurt."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Clay sighed. "I just dunno what happened, though. Usually a little tremor like that's no prob fer me, but it didn't work this time."

"Don't sweat it, big guy." Raimundo insisted. "We're still number one at saving the world!"

Clay gave a small smile. "Yeah, yer right."

As the monks flew on, Chase and Shadow watched them in the Eyeball. Chase smiled while Shadow gave an evil chuckle.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

"I still can't believe such a tiny creature could have so much untapped power." Shadow murmured.

"The Tiger Shrimp that actually have the power are extremely rare. This could very well be the last one in existence." Chase answered.

"Let me try." Shadow said, holding out her hand before Chase grabbed it and stopped her.

"Power of this magnitude is not to be played with." Chase sternly told her. "Your time will come, Shadow, but remember what happens when you don't obey me."

Actually, Shadow _didn't_ remember, having been a mindless sapphire zombie at the time, and that was why she shuddered at Chase's reminder. After a moment more, she suddenly came at Chase with rapid punches; he blocked every one and wasn't surprised; after all, they did this all the time.

"Why reveal this thing now if we're not going to use it to take over the world?" Shadow asked as she continued punching.

"That will come soon."

"Soon isn't soon enough!"

"Patience is a virtue, my grasshopper."

"I _eat_ grasshoppers. Call me 'phoenix'."

"Very well, my phoenix. The Tiger Shrimp is very powerful, yes, and that is why it must be approached with caution. It will help us in our evil cause, but only if we use it wisely and sparingly. If this sort of power is abused, it could cause disastrous ripple effects all over the world, leaving nothing to rule. Do you understand?"

"…Yeah, I suppose." Shadow said as she stopped her onslaught.

Satisfied, Chase folded his arms.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jack was in his kitchen having a little fun in-between evil plans. He was sitting at the dining table with a blindfold on. "Ready, F-Bot?"

"Ready, Boss Jack!" The robot chef replied. "It is time for 'Mystery Meat Roulette'!"

"No liver, right? I hate that stuff!"

"Oui oui Jack, you have programmed your dislikes and allergies into my memory banks very well." F-Bot answered. "Now no peeking." F-Bot stuck the first of the meats into Jack's awaiting mouth.

"Hmm…tastes like chicken." Jack said before sampling another piece. "Chicken…" Then some more. "Chicken...chicken, chicken…and more chicken!"

F-Bot chuckled. "Well, making every meat taste like chicken is one of my specialties."

"Well I don't care what this stuff is, I like it!" Jack turned to his creation. "You are definitely one of my best ideas ever, F-Bot!"

"Oh Jack, you are making me blush! Well, figuratively."

"What's the dish you want to cook most of all?"

"Most of all? Let's see…" F-Bot grabbed a cookbook and opened it. He turned back to Jack showing him a picture of a striped crustacean.

"As you may know, the tiger shrimp is a very popular seafood delicacy." F-Bot raised a finger on his one real hand. "However, legend in the cooking circles tells of a long-lost breed of tiger shrimp, said to be…magical."

"Magical?"

"Oui oui, if I recall correctly, this specific shrimp contains so much magic within it, all other seafood will taste like the chum in comparison."

"Really? A magical shrimp? Hmm…Hold that thought." Jack said. He went to another room and came back dragging something under a tarp.

"What is that?" F-Bot asked.

"F-Bot, meet your new little brother…" Jack pulled off the tarp. "Myth-Bot!"

The machine was the same color as his other Jack-Bots but was shaped like a squat cylinder. On top was a glass dome containing red, blue, and green lights.

"Myth-Bot?" F-Bot echoed.

"Since I keep running into all these ancient magical creatures, I whipped up this baby! By hacking into the local satellites, Myth-Bot can scan the world and detect any magical creature you want it to!"

"Really?"

"Really!" Jack pressed a button on its side and the lights inside turned on. "Myth-Bot, scan for magic tiger shrimp."

The machine used its lights to project a hologram of the Earth into the air. After a minute of scanning, a single beeping red light showed up in China. The specific coordinates were displayed below it.

"Ah yeah, Jack rules! Now let's go get that-wait, I know those coordinates…" After it hit him, Jack chuckled nervously. "Um, F-Bot, you may want to bring along some of that extra mystery meat."

"What for?"

"For Chase Young's cats." Jack turned to the robot. "The shrimp is in his lair."

* * *

The monks were recuperating after their not-quite-victory by hanging out near a river. Raimundo, Clay, and Omi were fishing while Kimiko sat at the base of a tree in which Dojo was taking a nap. Ping Pong had taken off his shirt and was wading in the river happily.

Suddenly, the water started bubbling. The boys fishing looked confused. Ping Pong did as well until his body gradually turned red from the feet up.

"E-OOOOWWW!"

The rest of the monks all turned to him as the little monk ran out of the river. "Ow ow ow ow ow hot hot hot hot hot!" He cried as he looked down at his sizzling bare feet.

"Ping Pong!" Kimiko exclaimed as she ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Ou-oui, Sister Kimiko, I will be fine." Ping Pong let out a breath as his legs slowly cooled down.

After seeing that their friend was alright, Raimundo and Clay looked back at the river to see that it was boiling and several dead fish were floating on the surface. Clay carefully plucked one out. "These are cooked finer than when my Uncle Fred does it, and the whole family loves his fish!"

Clay's country talk was interrupted when they again felt an earthquake. The hills around them cracked apart, and they could see smoke filling the sky. Kimiko's attention was diverted when an orange leaf floated down by her. She looked up into the tree to see that its previously green leaves were rapidly turning autumn colors and falling down. The movement woke Dojo up and made him slip out of the tree; fortunately Kimiko caught him.

"Thanks." Dojo said before looking back up at the tree. "I musta been asleep longer than I thought!"

"Is this global warming or something?" Kimiko wondered out loud.

"I don't know, but something's going on." Raimundo decided. "This much weird weather doesn't just happen in one day."

Omi turned to him. "The only person I know of who is capable of this magnitude of chaos is Chase Young. But how, and why?"

None of them knew the answer to that question.

* * *

Chase and Shadow's work was interrupted when two tigers walked into the room dragging Jack by the back of his trench coat and F-Bot by his spatula arm. "Hey, watch the teeth! This was a present from my granny!" Jack protested before being roughly deposited on the floor. F-Bot shook the saliva off his spatula. "I will have to sanitize this thing…"

Chase groaned. "I have no time for your antics, Spicer; I am in the middle of testing my new abilities of destruction."

Jack wearily got up. "And I'm sure that takes up a good part of your time; doesn't even leave you enough to whip up a nice home-cooked meal!" Jack threw his arm around F-Bot's shoulder. "Well I'd like you to meet F-Bot, my 3-star French chef! I made him myself!"

"And that's supposed to reassure me?" Chase questioned.

"Now that girly-boy mentions it, I _am_ getting kinda hungry. Why don't we see what this thingamabob can do? Pleeease?" Shadow asked.

Chase groaned again. "Very well. What exactly can this machine prepare?"

"Anything you want him to! Right, F-Bot?"

"Oui oui! Anything!" The robot agreed.

Shadow's eyes lit up. "Anything?"

Sometime later, Chase and Shadow were eating at their dining table. Chase had his usual assortment of fruits and meats; Shadow, on the other hand, had much a more…unique layout.

"You like?" Jack asked.

Shadow swallowed. "Spicy buffalo bat wings, cricket curry, rat ratatouille…what's not to like?" She said contentedly.

Chase took another bite of his own meal quietly. Yes, Shadow was meant to be the embodiment of his more animalistic and vicious side, but did her tastes in food have to be so… _raw_?

"I must admit, Spicer," he finally spoke, "I am actually rather impressed with your machine's culinary skills."

"I know, right! Yummy in the tummy! So can I stick around now?"

"You know I was actually leaning towards 'yes', until you said 'yummy in the tummy'."

"Oh, sorry! Come on, Chase, you know I'll do anything you want?"

"Yes, you do grovel well." Chase agreed.

"Some say that's my forte, especially my mom! So whaddya say?"

"Maybe he can clean up after the cats." Shadow sniffed. "Kinda stinks in here."

"What, the cats?! Uh, I mean sure, no problem!"

"Very well, Spicer, you can stay for now, as long as you don't get in our way, though knowing you that's probably too much to ask."

Jack's eyes grew big and sparkled before he hugged Chase.

"Ahem."

Jack realized what he was doing, let go, and looked in the other direction while whistling innocently.

* * *

Later, Jack was sweeping around Chase's throne. He had been working…a lot.

"I tried to join the monks, they made me do chores all day. I join Chase, he makes me do chores all day!" Jack grumbled to himself. "I am so sick of all this cleaning! Plus I'm starving!" Jack looked over to the shrimp hovering above the Heylin Eyeball.

"That thing does look good…and Chase has F-Bot now, he can make him all kinds of good food…"

Jack slowly reached out and grabbed hold of the shrimp.

"And it _is_ why I came here in the first place…" Jack barely hesitated before taking a big bite.

" _Mmmm…_ " Jack said as he let the savory meat trickle down his throat. "Oh man, F-Bot was right, I'll never go back to eating frozen fish sticks again!"

"Ooh…" F-Bot wearily floated into the room. "So much cat food…that had to have shortened my warranty…Bad news, Jack, unfortunately, we will _not_ be able to taste the-thethethe-" F-Bot's voice chip started glitching as he saw Jack gobble up the last of the Tiger Shrimp.

"Whuf?" Jack asked with his mouth full.

"Jack boy, what have you done?!" F-Bot cried.

"It looked too good; I couldn't wait for you to cook it!" Jack said while wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

"Jack, that Tiger Shrimp was controlling the-" F-Bot was interrupted when energy started crackling across the Heylin Eyeball. A massive shockwave of energy shot from it, knocking Jack and F-Bot onto the ground.

The shockwave spread out from Chase's lair and over the country, over the world.

The Great Wall of China started crumbling into pieces, across the ocean glaciers began to crack and melt, and storms picked up all over the place.

Jack held his head and stood up. The Heylin Eyeball was rapidly cycling through images, flickering like a television remote with a stuck channel-up button.

"Oh…um…I should, uh, probably get going now…don't wanna overstay my welcome…see ya!" Jack said before running off.

F-Bot struggled to get off the ground; that blast had not been pleasant for his circuitry. Finally, he was lifted up, but not from his jet parts.

If F-Bot could feel pain, Chase's reptilian claw gripping his normal arm probably would have hurt a bit.

" **What. JUST.** _ **HAPPENED?!**_ "

Make that more than a bit. F-Bot made the closest sound he could make to a gulp as he stared into the infuriated snout.

* * *

The monks, previously hiking through a pleasant plain, suddenly found themselves in a barren wasteland without a single shred of plant life anywhere.

"What in tarnation-" Clay began before Dojo started twitching and flopping like he had just drank a bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup. Scales started flying off his body until the dragon was little more than a pulsing pink sausage.

"Oh gosh…" Kimiko covered her mouth like she was going to hurl.

"Ow…ow…okay, this is not good ow…" Dojo managed to say while trying to protect his now extremely sensitive body. "Something's shaken up the natural order. Something BIG…OW!"

"You can say that again, Dojo." Kimiko was checking her phone. "News reports are streaming in. Weather all over the world has gone crazy! Hurricanes in Egypt, tornadoes in Toledo…" Kimiko gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Seattle is actually _sunny_."

"Okay, who's the wise guy playing this big joke on nature, and where are they so we can pound 'em?" Raimundo demanded.

* * *

"He's gone." Shadow said, walking back in the room with a couple cats by her side. "Girly-boy's split."

"It seems that I have underestimated Jack Spicer in terms of exactly how much he can mess up." Chase had managed to get the Eyeball slightly back under control; at least the images went slower so he could make out the massive hailstorms and melting igloos.

"You can fix this, right?" Shadow asked curiously.

"I know of one way. While you were scrounging for Spicer, I retrieved one of the Shen Gong Wu that we stole." Chase stepped back from the Eyeball and held up a small white mouse figure. "Hoduku Mouse!" Chase declared.

At first, nothing happened, but then the Mouse turned its head so it was looking at Chase. It wriggled out of his grasp and scurried past Shadow out the door. The cats beside her immediately turned and began chasing the metal rodent.

Shadow watched them go. "I may not know exactly what every one of those thingamajigs we took does…" She turned back to Chase. "But that wasn't supposed to happen, was it?"

Chase sighed and pinched his brow. "No…no it wasn't. Even the Shen Gong Wu are starting to be affected by all this ancient chaotic energy…We really are in uncharted territory now. When I get my hands on that insect…"

"Whatever you're thinking," Shadow interrupted. "Save some for me." She smiled deviously.

* * *

The Xiaolin Warriors flew through the air. Dojo's scales had grown back, but he was still too sore to fly, so they were using the Blue Feather Eagle, if it could even be called that anymore. The wild energy in the air had transformed it into a battered brown old-fashioned airplane, with one set of wings, a propeller on the front, and three seats. Raimundo was in the front seat flying, Clay took up the second with Dojo clinging to his shoulder, and Kimiko, Omi, and Ping Pong were all squeezed into the back seat. They flew over a massive desert, and saw a city that was nearly buried in sand.

"This is terrible…" Ping Pong said.

"Indeed. How can we make the world better when it is like this?" Omi concurred.

"We'll fix it, Omi." Kimiko assured him. "We have to."

Dojo suddenly started recoiling and making small noises of pain.

"You still feelin' sore, lil' partner?" Clay asked, concerned.

"Actually, it's a new Shen Gong Wu, but yeah, that's not helping." Dojo managed to get himself under control before reaching under Clay's hat and withdrawing the scroll. "It's called the Taho Snout." Dojo explained as he opened up the scroll. "It gives its user a sense of smell as good as a bloodhound's." The image showed a man securing the Snout to his face and sniffing around for a bit before getting down on all fours and crawling while still sniffing. "But don't wear it too long, or it'll give you, um, _other_ bloodhound-like qualities." Dojo closed the scroll and slipped it back under the hat.

"Perfect!" Raimundo proclaimed. "Jack would never turn down the chance to score a Wu, and if Chase really is behind this, he'll know what's going on."

"I think you're right, Rai." Kimiko said, smiling. "To the Taho Snout!"

Dojo slithered across the plane to Raimundo's seat and positioned himself next to the steering wheel. "Thataway." He said, pointing with his finger like a compass.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The gang flew through the desert to an oil rig that had sunk into the sand at an angle. The Taho Snout resembled a golden animal snout with a bit of white fluff attached to each side. It was connected to a green band with a blue wave pattern. The band was around a loose derrick, leaving the Snout dangling.

"How did that even _get_ there?" Kimiko questioned.

"Maybe a bird used it to make a nest." Clay suggested.

"Guess I was wrong. I don't see Jack…" Raimundo started. His eyes widened. "I see something worse."

The plane touched down and in a flash returned to its smaller form (though it was still an airplane). Standing atop the turntable were Chase and Shadow.

"Chase Young!" Omi shouted. "Is the world's current state your doing?"

"Yes and no." Chase answered. "This is the work of an ancient magical Tiger Shrimp."

"Tiger Shrimp?" Dojo questioned. "I thought the magical kind were extinct?"

"Well they are _now_." Chase spat. "That worm Jack _ate_ it, and by doing so caused the absorbed power to go rogue, turning the world into, well, this." Chase gestured around them.

"Wait wait wait…a _shrimp_ did this?" Raimundo asked, bewildered.

"According to legend, Tiger Shrimp used to be powerful creatures, able to change the world as they saw fit. They pretty much just blend in with normal shrimp now, but I guess _someone_ figured out how to unleash the power that _should've_ been kept hidden." Dojo said while glaring at Chase.

"That's all fine and dandy, but that still don't explain why Young is chasin' Wu." Clay interrupted.

"I was thinking to meet Spicer here and destroy him for what he has done, but I suppose he at least has enough brain power to stay away." Chase said. "There is a bright side, though, at least this Shen Gong Wu can help us track him down. Care to try and beat us to it?" He said with a smile.

Shadow stepped forward and beckoned to Kimiko.

"You want a girl fight?" The Dragon of Fire asked. "You got it." Kimiko flipped atop the turntable. She and Shadow started climbing the derricks towards the Snout. They both reached it and put their hands on it.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! I wager my Tangle Web Comb." Kimiko began.

Shadow smirked. "I'm feelin' rather playful today. To make it easier for ya, I'll wager a Wu I don't even need." Shadow reached into her armor and pulled out the Shroud of Shadows.

"The goal is to climb this rig. The first one to reach the Snout wins."

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

A sandstorm started up around them as the rig straightened and expanded, growing taller and taller. The crown block disappeared, leaving the metal structure to end at a point with the Taho Snout dangling from it. Kimiko and Shadow stood at the bottom atop the elevated turntable.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" The two shouted before leaping onto the rig and climbing with the monks cheering her on below. After a few seconds, Shadow leapt out to try and kick Kimiko, but she saw it coming and flipped upward, causing Shadow to miss and almost plummet sown before grabbing on again. After catching up with her, Shadow looked to do a kick again. Kimiko flipped up again, but Shadow had tricked her and went upward, managing to kick the girl and send her down.

"Tangle Web Comb!" Kimiko shouted, shooting the stretchy web like a grappling hook. It wrapped around a derrick and Kimiko swung around before aiming to strike Shadow off her perch. Unfortunately, Shadow saw her coming and melted into her incorporeal form, making Kimiko miss her, but she just grabbed onto another beam. Once she regained herself and Shadow became solid again, the climb resumed.

Kimiko and Shadow had nearly made it to the top when four tall oil towers suddenly sprouted around them. They flung oil into the air, covering the rig and the combatants. Kimiko barely managed to hold on to the slippery metal. Her opponent, on the other hand, used her shadow powers to climb easily. She had just about gotten there when she looked down at Kimiko, who was still slowly climbing. She looked back at the Taho Snout and smirked. Shadow suddenly let go, falling well below Kimiko before grabbing on again. Kimiko looked down at her surprised, then finished the climb and grabbed the Snout, ending the Showdown.

Kimiko and Shadow appeared back in front of the others; any oil that had gotten on them had vanished.

Kimiko looked down at the Taho Snout and Shroud of Shadows that she had won before glaring at Shadow. "Did you let me win?" She questioned.

Shadow put her hand to her chest. "Let you win? Whatever gave you that idea? You won fair and square." She said in a tone that highly suggested she was lying.

Omi looked at the Snout in Kimiko's hands again before suppressing a laugh. "Is that so? Or are the both of you too hoity-toity to crawl like a dog in order to find Jack Spicer?" He inquired.

Raimundo looked down at him. "So you mess up 'keep your head in the game', but 'hoity-toity' is no problem for you? The world really is upside-down…" he murmured.

"At least let us come with you to find him." Shadow said. "As trade, we'll give you something that'll make the job go faster." She reached into the ground using her powers and extracted F-Bot, who had a few scratches and dents.

"Yup, that'll give the Taho Snout the scent it needs!" Dojo said.

Kimiko decided to interrupt. "Guys, as much as I love kicking Jack's butt, that's not gonna put the world back to normal, is it?"

"No, but what will?" Ping Pong wondered.

Omi pondered before speaking. "Chase Young, you said that Jack _ate_ your Shrimp?"

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Correct."

Omi smiled. "Then I have a plan. But for it to work, it will require that you return two particular Shen Gong Wu you stole."

Chase stood there for a moment before sighing. "Which ones?"

* * *

Later, the group's best tracker (AKA Clay) had strapped the Taho Snout over his nose and had gotten Jack's scent from F-Bot. After a while of searching, the assorted group of heroes and villains found Jack's RV in a dried-up jungle next to a massive puddle of quicksand. The giant babbling one-eyed red-skinned head sticking out of the quicksand told them why the engine-less RV had stopped moving.

Clay tracked on all fours for a little more until they came to a patch of trees and pointed like a pointer dog to Wuya who was floating in the middle of it. She let out a small shriek when she turned around and saw everyone. "Oh, Chase! What a pleasant surprise!"

"I'll cut to the chase, Wuya. Is Spicer around?"

A sneaky smile adorned Wuya's mask and she used one of her stumpy arms to point up. The group looked up to see Jack perched in one of the trees. Clay stood up and removed the Taho Snout from his face.

"Wuya, you wispy wimp! You ratted me out!" Jack cried.

"Relax, Spicer." Kimiko said. "We're not gonna hurt you."

"You're…not?"

Chase stepped up. "As much as I'd like to squish you like the insect you are, there might actually be a way for you to fix the catastrophe _you_ caused."

"There is? How?" Jack and Wuya said at the same time.

Omi walked up next to Chase. "The question is, when is the last time you flossed?"

"So I just gotta stand here?" Jack asked.

"Yes, stand still and we'll take care of the rest." Chase said. He, Omi, Raimundo, Kimiko, Clay, Ping Pong, Dojo, Shadow, F-Bot, and Wuya were all together with Jack standing a few yards away.

"I don't get it, how is me never flossing gonna save the world?"

"You'll see." Raimundo said. He leaned down to Omi. "You really think this'll work?"

"It must." Omi replied confidently. He stepped forward and held up the first of the two Wu Chase had returned. "Ruby of Ramses!"

Jack was surrounded by a red glow. Omi levitated him a few inches into the air, then made his body turn down at an angle so he head was close to the ground.

"Ping Pong, it is your turn. Jump to it!" Omi said.

"I believe the saying is 'hop to it', and I do not exactly feel like hopping or jumping. Must it really be me?" Ping Pong asked worriedly.

Raimundo shrugged. "Sorry dude, you're the new guy."

"And I only do this with Master Fung." Dojo added.

Ping Pong gulped and pulled a bit of dental floss from the container he held in his hand. Ping Pong went up to Jack's mouth and started flossing his teeth. When one piece of floss was done, Ping Pong laid it on the ground next to him. Jack was as appalled as the rest of them as Omi used the Ruby of Ramses to keep his mouth open so Ping Pong could continue. Within a few minutes Jack's teeth had been flossed and all the used pieces were lying on the ground.

Omi deactivated the Ruby and Jack fell to the ground. Jack got up and rubbed his jaw which had been kept open for so long.

"I don't know why you just did that, but I never want to go through that again." He said.

"How do you think _I_ feel?" Ping Pong exclaimed, still shaken from the whole experience.

"Now to see if my plan will work." Omi walked up to the used floss and withdrew the second Shen Gong Wu that they had just gotten back. "Rio Reverso!"

Black energy shot from the blue crystal and hit the bits of food that clung to the floss. The first blast turned them back into a chicken and a cobra. The next discharge resurrected a frog and a pig.

Jack gaped at what the bits of food that had been between his teeth really were. He turned to F-Bot. " _That's_ what was in 'Mystery Meat Roulette'?"

The robot chef shrugged. "I wanted you to taste some exotic meats."

"Exotic?!" Jack watched as a small bird was restored. "You made me eat a _pigeon_!"

"That's a quail, you ignorant-" Chase groaned. "No sign of the Tiger Shrimp yet."

"I am not done yet." Omi returned. He aimed the Rio Reverso at the last bit of floss. With baited breath, he used the Wu. The bits of food on the floss became another chicken, a tropical fish of some sort that flopped around, and finally, the Tiger Shrimp.

"Yes!" Omi cried as he ran over to the squirming animal and picked it up. "Water!" Omi used his Shoku powers to create a floating sphere of water in the air. He put the shrimp inside and let it swim around. He turned to Chase. "Now what?"

"With the Tiger Shrimp restored, the loose chaotic energy should be put back in order." He answered.

Kimiko checked her phone again. "He's right. Reports are coming in about the weird weather suddenly going back to normal. We did it!" she cheered.

Chase started walking up to Omi, but he quickly put his hand on the floating water bubble. "Ice." Instantly the bubble froze solid, preserving the Tiger Shrimp inside. Omi held the ice-ball in his hand before placing it in the Cosmic Burlap. "We shall hold on to this wondrous creature. It is a good thing the Cosmic Burlap preserves its contents at the same temperature as when they went in."

Chase folded his arms and let a small smile come to his face. "It's a shame our alliance couldn't have been more…permanent."

Omi folded his arms too. "Yes it is."

Chase frowned. He turned around. "Come, Shadow, our work here is done."

"But you can't just let them keep the-" Shadow began before being cut off. "We lost today, Shadow. Learning when you've lost is a crucial part of any long-term conflict." When Chase got close enough to her, he whispered in her ear. " _Besides, there's still the eclipse_."

" _Whatever that means_ …" She whispered back. A devious smile appeared on Chase's lips before he snapped his fingers and teleported them away in an orange flash.

"So…" The monks turned to Jack. "Since you couldn't have fixed this mess without me, how about helping me dig Cyclops out of the quicksand so I can be on my way?" Jack flashed a big toothy smile at the monks, all of whom just deadpanned at him. Jack lost the fake smile. "Fine." He grumbled before leaving to try and do it himself with Wuya and F-Bot following.

Raimundo shook his head before looking at the jungle around them, which seemed to get brighter. "Well guys, ready to get back to doing what we do best: saving the world?"

The others heartily confirmed that they got back on Dojo and took off to continue saving the day however they could.


	12. S1E11: When a Tree Falls

**OMAC001-Thank you, I try.**

 **Sleepy Sepia-I'm glad this was able to satisfy your desire.**

* * *

The Xiaolin team all stood around a big hole in the ground. It looked no different than any of the other holes around them, filled nearly to the brim with filthy brown water.

"Are you sure this is the place, Dojo?" Kimiko asked.

Dojo lifted his arms. "According to the lumpy rash under my arms, yes. Do you want to touch it?"

Kimiko cringed. "Way too much info, Dojo. I believe you."

"Enough chat-chit! Let us retrieve the Shen Gong Wu before-"

"Jack-Bots, attack!"

"-Jack Spicer arrives." Omi finished.

The monks turned to the oncoming onslaught of robots and started smashing them all once again. While they were distracted, Jack and Wuya flew down to the muddy hole the monks were just staring at. Jack landed the Heli-Bot and looked down at the water unsure.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get in there and retrieve it!" Wuya ordered.

"But these are my good clothes." Jack lamely protested.

Clay punched a Jack-Bot to pieces while Kimiko took down a couple more with some fire blasts. Omi held up his Shoku weapon. "Orb of Torpedo, Shoku Neptune, Water!" Omi's Orb shown with a bright blue light before transforming into its powered-up rocket-like form. Clutching the handle, Omi shot a mighty blast of water that destroyed all the Jack-Bots. Unfortunately, it also drenched his friends (which left Kimiko sizzling) as well as shot Omi into the air.

Omi desperately tried to control himself, but he just went in circles. He soon came to the mud hole and his water jet shot into it, spraying mud everywhere, especially onto Jack. However, once Jack wiped the mud from his eyes, he saw a gold object that had been sent flying out of the dirty puddle. Jack quickly started up the Heli-Bot and flew up, catching the object in mid-air. It resembled a golden gopher with a red nose and eyes. Its mouth was open in a cartoony smile. The top was green and there was a brown zigzag pattern on the side of both the main body and the long tail.

Ping Pong was the first to notice this. "No! Jack Spicer has the Gohan Gopher!"

"That's right, baby! Score one for Jack! Booya!" Jack said as he and Wuya flew off.

The other monks slumped in defeat.

"Excellent work, Jack!" Wuya complimented as they flew on.

"Heh. If you're saying that now, just wait until you see my latest evil plot! This Gohan Gopher is gonna make me one happy evildoer!" Jack smiled evilly.

* * *

A couple days later, Ping Pong was meditating in the midst of a few trees not too far from the monks' next campsite. Aviaire, the bird he had befriended, was perched on one of the branches watching him. Not long ago, Ping Pong had gotten in touch with his inner Xiaolin Wood Element, and was now trying to call on it again. Ping Pong put his hands together and the three dots shone on his forehead. "Wood!" The boy yelled as he flipped to the other side of the clearing and started punching a tree. "Wood!" He ran over to the side, jumped off another tree, and struck the one on the opposite side. Avi watched all this with a bemused look.

Ping Pong focused. He came to the tree his bird was perched on, jumped up, and began to repeatedly slam his head into the trunk, shaking the tree and Avi loose from it. Ping Pong landed on the ground and got up, rubbing his sore head.

"Ping Pong, what are you doing?" Ping Pong turned to see Omi walk up.

"Bother Omi, I have been trying to call upon my Wood Element, and I have developed my own Tai Chi maneuver! I call it, um, Wooden Woodpecker…Pecking Wood!" Ping Pong knocked his head against Omi's several times, making loud hollow _thunk_ -ing sounds. Omi recoiled and rubbed his head. "It is no 'Sparrow Eating Hot Dog', but effective. Though next time demonstrate it on something else, _Ooh_."

"Oh yes, of course. Pardon me, Brother Omi."

"Anyway," Omi started, having soothed the pain in his noggin. "Dojo has sensed a new Shen Gong Wu, and it is located high up in a mountaintop forest. Maybe you can resume your Wood training there."

"Fantastique! Lead the way, Brother Omi!"

* * *

Meanwhile, high up on a mountaintop, in the middle of a forest, Jack had set up his own illegal logging establishment. He had constructed giant robots to cut down the trees. Currently, he was sitting in the control room of his building, looking smug as he watched his machines do all the work.

"Yes, my robots, continue logging! Soon, my evil tree house will be complete! Hahahahahaha!" Jack turned to see Wuya looking at him with an unamused expression adorning her mask.

"What? I'm gonna need a sweet crib to rule the world from!"

"I suppose it's too much to ask to focus on _actually ruling the world_ first?" Wuya asked.

Jack shook his head. "Wuya, Wuya, Wuya, that may have flown in the old days, but evil is a young man's game, and every young man knows that it's all about the image!"

"And a tree house will provide a satisfactory image?"

"A _huge_ , _evil_ tree house, thank you!" Jack groaned when Wuya's expression didn't change. "Fine, if you wanna be that way, think of it as a…second base of operations; a secret one that the monks don't know about."

Wuya seemed to lighten up a little. "That's a little more like it."

"Yup, those goody-two-shoes will never find me up here!"

Wuya shuddered and afterwards looked even more stoic than before. "Unless they go to retrieve the new Shen Gong Wu that just revealed itself."

"Why? What's so important about this new Wu?"

"It's in this forest."

"…Oh." Jack pressed a button on his console. "Jack-Bots, adjust settings for Shen Gong Wu retrieval and Xiaolin Loser butt-kicking!" After Jack was done, he turned to Wuya. "Let 'em come! I'm ready for 'em this time!"

"Why do I not feel better?" the ghost asked herself.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Once again, the monks enjoyed the thrill of riding on a dragon's back. "So Dojo, what wonders does this new Shen Gong Wu possess?" Ping Pong asked, opening up the scroll.

"The Cloth of the Jungle, when worn, allows the user to overcome any animal in combat." Dojo explained. The monks looked as the figure on the scroll secured a loincloth around his waist. A bear came at him from off-screen, but he just jump-kicked it away. A lion tried to pounce on him, but he just threw it off of him. Finally, a gorilla came in and tried to punch him, but the monk grabbed the animal's wrist and jumped over it, managing to flip it off-screen. The monk then pounded his chest in victory.

"I reckon that'll be one handy piece o' cloth. I could definitely use it in the next family rodeo." Clay spoke up.

"And for Chase's jungle cats?" Kimiko offered.

"Oh, heh heh, right, those too." The cowboy blushed.

Finally, Dojo made it up the mountain where the Wu was and landed, letting the monks disembark before shrinking and perching on Clay's shoulder.

"So which way to the Wu?" Kimiko asked.

Dojo sniffed. "That way," he said, pointing. "But…"

"But?"

"But I've got a bad feeling, and it's not just my back from carrying all of you up here." Dojo said, pressing against his back. "Something tells me this won't just be a hop skip and a Wu."

"When is it ever?" Raimundo responded. "Now let's go!"

Kimiko furrowed her brow at Raimundo's nonchalance about Dojo's warning, but followed anyway.

After a while of walking through the forest, the monks came to an area full of stumps.

"Um…Are these supposed to be here?" Raimundo questioned.

"No, don't think so." Dojo said.

Ping Pong walked over to a stump and sadly rubbed his hand over the smooth surface. "Who would be so cruel as to cut down all these wondrous trees?"

"We would."

Everyone turned at the monotone voice to see several Jack-Bots; not the new models, but the original kind that Jack used in the old days.

"Hey, uh, you know that bad feeling I said I had?"

"I know, I know!" Raimundo spat back as the Jack-Bots revealed spinning blades attached to their sides and flew at the monks.

"Ruby of Ramses!" Clay shouted. He caught a Jack-Bot in the gemstone's aura and threw it into another, causing both of them to fall to pieces.

Other Jack-Bots surrounded Raimundo, blades whirring. "Shroud of Shadows!" The Dragon of Wind said, making himself turn invisible. The Bots all looked to each other confused before their heads started flying off one by one.

"Sword of the Storm, Fire!" Kimiko said, causing fire to swirl outward and catch several Bots in the inferno. Perched in one of the still-intact trees surrounding them, a black robotic crow watched it all.

From the safety of the control room, Jack and Wuya watched as the monks smashed all the Jack-Bots.

"How surprising." Wuya said sarcastically.

Jack grumbled. "It's not my fault this thing's taken a good chunk outta my savings! I had to go back to the old, cheaper models for a bit! Doesn't matter anyway; time to introduce my shock troops!" Jack pressed a button. "Lumber-Bots, attack!"

Just as the monks had finished off the old-fashioned Bots, they heard rumbling and heavy machinery moving. They turned to see several giant robots roll out into the clearing on treadmills. They had giant classic Jack-Bot heads and two strong arms that moved up and down.

"This is new." Rai noted.

The robots each grabbed a tree in their claws and buzz saws extracted from their subsections (making Kimiko cringe). The saws sliced the through the trees, leaving only stumps still attached to the ground. The Lumber-Bots picked up the trees and started using them as weapons to try and smash the monks. The heroes jumped and rolled out of the way, but the Lumber-Bots were quick for being so large. Raimundo's wind powers barely deterred them and they were too sturdy to be knocked over by Clay's Earth powers as well as apparently being waterproof, much to Omi's dismay.

As even the Shoku Warriors were having trouble with the Lumber-Bots, it shouldn't be surprising that Ping Pong wasn't doing any better. He just barely managed to avoid being flattened by the trees that were being smashed down. Shrieking, he turned and ran into the forest with the Bot following.

"Ping Pong!" Kimiko yelled and tried to run after him, but two Lumber-Bots quickly got in her way. She grumbled before throwing two fireballs at them, which didn't have much of an impact.

* * *

Ping Pong ran through the forest, trying to shake the large robot off his trail. Ping Pong listened to the heavy whirs of the machine following him until he got an idea.

The Lumber-Bot stopped. It looked around and around but couldn't see Ping Pong anywhere. With a mechanical version of a huff, it turned and went back the way it came. Ping Pong then dropped out of the tree it had been hiding in. He had been perched right next to the Lumber-Bot's head, close enough to feel the heat from its body, and it hadn't even noticed him. Ping Pong wiped his forehead.

"Phew! Now that that's over, I should be heading back to…my…friends?" Ping Pong trailed off when he realized that he was lost. "Oh dear…How will I find my friends again?" the little monk whimpered. He looked around before heading in a random direction.

After a few minutes, Ping Pong was tired, not just from the trek, but of not seeing the others anywhere, just more trees. On top of that, the only Shen Gong Wu he had on him was the Two-Ton Tunic, so he couldn't use the Star Hanabi to make a flare or the Jet Bootsu to fly up high and get a better view. He was thinking of just giving up when he heard a squawk from above. He looked up to see a certain bird perched on a branch.

"Avi! I am so glad to see you! Do you know where I can find the others?"

The bird just squawked before flying off. Ping Pong hurried after her. When he caught up, he saw his pet perched on a branch; a yellow loincloth with brown spots all over it was draped over it.

Ping Pong gasped. "The Cloth of the Jungle! You found it!" He said gleefully. He hurried over to the tree and jumped on it to climb it, but it was too wide and he just slid back down. He tried again with the same result. He started fuming.

"Come on, Ping Pong, you can do this. It's _your_ element. Just…focus." Ping Pong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gripped the bark of the tree and slowly started climbing it until he finally reached the branch where the Cloth was. Before the monk of Wood could relish in his victory though, several Jack-Bots flew up. Ping Pong was so startled that he almost fell off the branch. One of the Jack-Bots extended its arms and grabbed the Cloth. Another one equipped with the spinning blades sliced through the branch, causing Avi to fly off and Ping Pong to fall. The boy gripped the tree and managed to slow his descent. He looked up to see the Jack-Bots fly off with the Wu.

"No!" Ping Pong cried before he saw Avi flying above him. The bird circled around for a bit before flying after the Bots. Keeping his eyes locked on her, Ping Pong followed.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Shoku Warriors had managed to gain the upper hand on the Lumber-Bots. Clay had climbed one and used the Fist of the Iron Bear to smash its head in, shutting it down. Kimiko had achieved a similar effect on another one by using her fire powers. One by one, all the lumbering Lumber-Bots were ground to a halt, dropping the trees they had stolen.

Raimundo wiped his brow. "Is that all of 'em?"

"It would seem so." Omi answered, looking around.

"What about Ping Pong? He could be anywhere in this forest, all alone." Kimiko said worriedly.

"Don't you worry, Kimiko. I'll track him down faster than a starvin' dog hunts down Big Bob's BBQ." Clay reassured her. "Taho Snout!" He said, securing the schnozz-resembling Wu to his face again. Clay picked up Ping Pong's scent and traveling on all fours, led the way.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Jack had a welding mask on and was working on some sort of machine deep in his new lumber mill.

"Sir."

Jack turned and lifted up the mask. "What? Ever since the monks put the kibosh on my Lumber-Bots, I've had to work double-time on this baby!"

"The Shen Gong Wu has officially been retrieved." The Jack-Bot continued, holding aloft the Cloth of the Jungle.

Jack's eyes widened. "Awesome! With this, I can be, 'Jack of the Jungle'! Oh yeah!" he cried, taking the loincloth and tying it around his waist. "Cloth of the Jungle!" The cloth started glowing and Jack could feel a sort of primal power course through him. "Yeah, I can feel it!" He turned to the Jack-Bots that had brought him the Cloth. "Come at me! I can take ya!" The Jack-Bots looked at each other, confused at their master's newfound gung-ho attitude, but did as he asked.

Ping Pong arrived at Jack's lumber mill. The child gulped at the imposing structure before slowly going in. He was ambushed by Jack-Bots, but even his simple skills were enough to take care of the old-fashioned models. With how many kept coming and coming, Ping Pong kept hearing the smashing sound even when he had finally run out of Bots to smash.

Wait. He _could_ still hear Jack-Bots being smashed further within the mill. "The others must be near!" Ping Pong thought joyfully as he ran toward the sound. He became less sure as he got nearer, though. Was that monkey screeching he heard?

Ping Pong opened a door to a room full of dismantled Jack-Bots. And standing in front of them was…Jack? The boy genius had taken off his clothes, including his goggles, letting his hair go wild. The only covering he had was a yellow, brown-spotted loincloth, the Cloth of the Jungle. The Heylin wannabe was making monkey-like sounds and beating his bare chest, seemingly in victory.

"Jack Spicer has gone ape!" Ping Pong whispered to himself from the door.

"Ugh, and I thought you were annoying with the Monkey Staff." Wuya said as she floated over to Jack. "The monks will be here soon! Just activate your new weapon already!"

"Ugh?" Jack tilted his head at Wuya like she was speaking another language.

"You know, that insufferable device you made to cut down the trees and build your treehouse even faster?"

Ping Pong gasped while Jack just scratched his head.

"THIS THING, YOU DUMMY!" Wuya yelled as she flew over to a silver ball-shaped machine with a giant glass lens in front. The ball was split in half, each half supported by thin metal rods over an object in the center, which was positioned right behind the lens.

Ping Pong recognized it almost immediately. "The Gohan Gopher?" he whispered.

Jack made a noise that sounded like he understood. He walked up to it (on his knuckles, notably) and started tapping it and running his hands across it.

Wuya put a ghostly hand to her ghostly face. "Over here, 'Jack of the Jungle'!" She said, floating over a big red button on the nearby console.

"Uuuggghhh…" Jack said as he nodded again. He slowly lumbered over towards the button.

"Oh no you don't, Jack Spicer!" Ping Pong said, revealing himself.

"What?! You?" Wuya exclaimed while Jack screeched angrily and ran at Ping Pong. The monk leapt at the genius and started fighting him. Jack moved clumsily and thoughtlessly, letting Ping Pong duck and weave between attacks.

"The Cloth of the Jungle may help you defeat any animal…" Ping Pong began before jumping behind Jack and kicking him in the behind, knocking him away some feet. "But I am no animal!" he finished. Jack then leapt back at Ping Pong and swung his arms, managing to catch the young Dragon of Wood and send him sprawling.

"Then again, moves that can take down a lion are nothing to sneeze at…" he said to himself. He got up and looked at Jack, who was beating his chest in primate fashion again. "I hope my take on Brother Omi's Tornado Strike maneuver will work…Ping Pong Spinning Hurricane!" Ping Pong said, managing to get a spin going. However, being inept at the attack, he couldn't control where he was going and Jack dodged him easily. Ping Pong spun around some more until he finally managed to stop himself by grabbing onto a flat surface. Suddenly, red lights started flashing and alarms began going off. Ping Pong quickly saw the cause: the surface he had grabbed onto was the control console, and he had put his hand on the red button he had tried to stop Jack from pushing.

"Oh zut…" he mumbled to himself.

Orange lights started up across the barrel-shaped machine, including line and circle shapes. The Gohan Gopher in the center started glowing. Then out of its mouth shot a red laser, which was amplified by the lens, making Ping Pong duck to avoid having his head blown off. The blast shot a massive hole through the console, ruining it. The machine started sparking and spinning, firing lasers all over the place.

"Jack, turn it off!" Wuya ordered as a blast went through her, scattering her essence for a bit before it reformed.

Jack screeched again and jumped on top of the device, but it just spun in circles and threw him off before using the wheels Jack had put on it to roll out of the room. It went through the mill, firing its lasers all over the place and wrecking the whole establishment. Ping Pong managed to dodge it and get ahead of its jerky out-of-control movement.

Finally, the rest of the monks followed the Taho Snout to Jack's lumber mill. "Look at this place." Rai said. "Jack probably doesn't even have a permit for this thing."

Dojo twitched and looked at his tail. "Look! My Shen Gong Wu blisters have frozen into little hard peas! That can only mean the Cloth's nearby!"

"We'll worry about that later." Kimiko said. "Let's just find-Ping Pong!" She exclaimed when she saw him run out of the building with a fearful face.

"RUN!" He shouted as he darted past them with his dragonfly-like speed. The others all looked confused before hearing the crashes and explosions within. The Gohan Gopher machine rolled out and fired a laser at them. Clay quickly ducked, leaving his hat suspended in the air for a second; the blast went in-between his head and the hat before the headpiece flopped back onto Clay's head. The other four Xiaolin Warriors decided to take Ping Pong's advice and run.

"Is that the Gohan Gopher?" Kimiko asked as they ran. Slithering along with them, Dojo opened up the scroll. "Well, as I told you before, the Gohan Gopher lets its user travel underground." The scroll image showed a monk grasping the Gopher, which levitated him into the air and suddenly burrowed into the black dirt below. The Gopher shot a laser out of it mouth, constantly making a tunnel as it carried the monk along. Dojo closed the scroll and put it back in his hammerspace.

"Jack must have found a way to boost its power!" Dojo said as they dodged more laser fire. The dragon expanded. "Wanna just bail on this one?"

"Don't think we have much of a choice there, partner." Clay said as the monks all hopped on Dojo's back.

All but one.

"Wait, what about the forest? That monstrous machine will completely destroy it!" Ping Pong argued.

"That thing'll destroy _us_ if we don't get outta here!" Raimundo argued.

Ping Pong glared and folded his arms. "I am not giving up! And as leader, you shouldn't either!"

Raimundo looked surprised at the words of their newest recruit.

Ping Pong got in front of the machine and got it to chase him again, leaving the other monks on the floating Dojo calling his name.

Ping Pong ran until he was backed against a tree. The machine was still firing lasers, cutting down a few of the trees around them cleanly. Ping Pong was actually starting to regret his decision to stand and fight, but reminded himself that it was too late to give up now. The machine seemed to be ignoring him for the moment, so Ping Pong took the time to focus. He leapt at the machine and kicked it, cracking the lens, which caused several short lasers to zap all over the place. This also caused the machine to spin out of control. Ping Pong dodged best he could and took his opportunity when he saw it.

He jumped at the Shen Gong Wu in the center of the machine and managed to knock the Gohan Gopher out of its place. The contraption instantly powered down. Ping Pong let out a sigh of relief and went over to retrieve the Gohan Gopher. But as he put his hand on it, someone else did the same. Ping Pong looked to see 'Jack of the Jungle' snarling at him. The monks all came out of the brush to see the raggedy boy genius.

"What happened to Jack?" Omi asked.

"And _why_ is he almost naked?!" Kimiko said while covering her eyes.

"Looks like he's been wearing the Cloth too long." Dojo answered.

"Jack, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Ping Pong began. "I wager my Two-Ton Tunic against your Cloth of the Jungle."

Jack grunted in agreement.

Ping Pong looked back at the deactivated machine. "The game shall be 'Keep Away'. Whoever is in possession of the ball when time runs out shall be the winner. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

The trees around them changed and warped; the stumps grew and widened, making platforms with thick branches connecting them. Behind them, the entrance to Jack's mill stood over them, supporting a giant hourglass with striped multicolored sand over it. The useless deforestation machine reformed into a lightweight silver ball and was placed on a stump-platform a distance from a large one in the center, which Ping Pong and Jack were placed on.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" Ping Pong shouted while Jack just made jungle garble.

Jack quickly pushed Ping Pong out of the way and ran to grab the ball. He jumped up and down while holding it over his head. Ping Pong ran at him, but he just jumped out of the way and scampered across a tree branch to another stump. The monk of Wood looked at the hourglass to see the striped sand filtering through it. If he wanted to win, he had to be holding the ball when it ran out.

Ping Pong ran to Jack, but the crazed youth jumped out of the platform and somehow climbed one of the trees forming the barrier of the arena while still holding the massive ball with one hand. Ping Pong looked across the gap. He looked like he was ready to jump, but then hesitated. He started forward again, and stopped again. He looked back at the hourglass: it was about halfway through. Ping Pong slumped in defeat while Jack blew a raspberry at him from his perch.

"Come on, Ping Pong!"

"Yeah, you can do it!"

"We believe in ya, partner!"

Ping Pong looked up to see the other monks perched on branches on another tree on the other side of the arena. They were all cheering for him. Ping Pong made his way over to them. "Merci for the enthusiasm, my friends, but how am I supposed to claim the ball from Jack _now_?"

"Dude, this is _your_ element! Use it!" Raimundo said.

"You were the one who wanted to stick around and save these trees in the first place, remember?" Kimiko added.

"But-"

"Focus, Little Gecko. Your elemental powers may not be as developed as ours, but they never will unless you get in tune with them now." Omi explained.

Ping Pong looked at the hourglass again before swallowing. "Alright, I will try." Ping Pong made his way back to where Jack was standing above him, still holding the ball.

' _Come on, Ping Pong. You are the Dragon of Wood. You cannot allow these innocent trees to be harmed. Focus like you did before.'_

It took a few seconds (which seemed like hours to Ping Pong) but he finally got his chi in focus again. The scene of Ping Pong standing on a tree stump and making trees grow played again.

" _WOOD!_ "

Ping Pong jumped, cleared the gap and quickly started climbing. Jack was so surprised that he didn't even react before Ping Pong jumped up to his level.

"Wooden Woodpecker Pecking Wood!" Ping Pong shouted, knocking his head against Jack's. The crazed boy genius fell off the branch, leaving Ping Pong to grab the ball just as the last of the striped sand in the hourglass ran out.

In a flash of light, Ping Pong reappeared in the forest, holding the Gohan Gopher, Two-Ton Tunic, and Cloth of the Jungle. The ball had turned back into a mess of wires and disassembled parts strewn about the ground. The other monks went to congratulate Ping Pong, who just blushed.

"I am proud of you, Little Gecko!" Omi said, clapping his protégé on the back. "Did I not say you would receive training here?"

"Indeed you did, Brother Omi…so what about Jack Spicer's evil saw mill?"

"No worries." Kimiko said, tapping on her phone. "I just sent in an anonymous report of illegal deforestation. The authorities will be here soon to get rid of this place!"

"In that case, we'd best get goin'." Dojo said as he grew. "If we've got everything we need from here, hop on!"

The monks all jumped on Dojo, the last being Ping Pong with new Wu and new confidence in his own abilities as they flew off to their next adventure.

Later, Wuya flew into the clearing as the pile of loose electronics from the deforestation machine started rattling. Jack poked his head out from under it. "Wuya? Ugh…what happened?"

"Once again, you made a monkey of yourself and ruined everything." The ghost summed up.

"Ah…"

"Now let's go. The authorities will be here soon."

"Fine. So much for my evil tree house…" Jack stood up.

Wuya's eyes widened before she covered them with her stumpy arms. "And for evil's sake, put some clothes on!"


	13. S1E12: Magic Stallion and the Wild West

**OMAC001-Thanks again for your encouragement.**

* * *

The sun poked through the treetops before coming to rest on one certain hollow tree. A female squirrel poked her head out and welcomed the new day. She scampered across a branch before seeing a bunch of acorns stashed in another tree hole. A male squirrel crawled out of this one, seemed to smile at her, and gestured to it. The female blushed. The two squirrels got close to each other, leaned in…

Only for the male to suddenly be roped by a lasso and pulled from his lover's grasp.

"Hoo-wee! Ah feel more ready than a pig fer slop!" Clay drawled as he plucked the squirrel out of the lasso and threw him to the side.

The other monks, following behind him, shared anxious glances before Raimundo finally spoke up. "Er, Clay…"

"Yeah, partners?" the cowboy turned to them beaming.

"I know it's your thing and all," the leader continued, "but lately it seems you've gotten more, um, 'folksier' than usual."

"And for you, that's saying a lot." Kimiko chipped in.

Clay smiled and tipped his hat. "Has it been that obvious?"

"Yes." Everyone answered simultaneously.

Clay chuckled. "Beg yer pardon, Ah'm just getting' riled up fer mah grandpappy's birthday bash. He's turnin' a hundred, so it's gonna be a real hootenanny! The whole family's gonna be there!"

"Aw, that's sweet!" Kimiko said, smiling.

"Yessiree, and heck, ya'll feel like kin to me just as much as any o' em, would ya'll care to join me?"

"Ooh, I would love to visit your hoedown home again!" Omi replied, excited.

"Fantastique! I have always wanted to visit Texas!" Ping Pong said, just as hyped.

"As long as they're not serving cow pie." Raimundo answered.

"I'm pretty sure our Texas outfits survived…" Kimiko said as she felt around the Cosmic Burlap to make sure.

Clay smiled. This birthday was gonna be as fun as a hayride in August!

* * *

In Jack Spicer's secluded warehouse, the boy genius was working on building a Jack-Bot.

"Jack…"

"Yes, Wuya?"

"Do you notice a little 'problem' with our evil future?"

"Um…"

"How about the fact that we have _no money whatsoever_!"

"So I've had to make a few budget cuts. Everyone does it." Jack said as he turned his Jack-Bot around and cranked the oversized wind-up key on its back. The Bot got up jittering and hovered a few feet before falling off the table and breaking.

"You can't even produce your worthless Jack-Bots anymore! And the last one that had some semblance of use, that blabbering chef, you traded for a six thousand dollar… _toilet_!"

"I'll have you know, this toilet is one of _the best_ business decisions I have ever made!" Jack protested, gesturing toward a futuristic-looking outhouse in the corner. "Though it is hard to whip up a good meal without F-Bot." he relented. His cell phone suddenly started ringing. Jack looked at the Caller ID. It was some foreign number he didn't know, but he decided to answer anyway. "Hello?"

"Greetings, Jack Spicer."

Jack knew that voice. "PandaBubba? Is that you?"

"Yes. I am calling because I have a business proposition for you."

Even though the crime boss couldn't see it, Jack raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"Because you have a certain…flair for this sort of thing. Don't worry, if it works out, you will be payed quite handsomely."

Jack looked at the worthless Jack-Bot sprawled across the floor. "I'm listening."

"Meet me at my summer home. We will discuss it there." The call ended and after a moment, coordinates were texted to Jack's phone.

Jack picked up the keys to his hover-jet. "Looks like I'm goin' to meet PandaBubba."

"I'm coming with you this time." Wuya insisted. "I don't want you trading any more Shen Gong Wu to that black-and-white poser!"

"Fine. Let's just go, you know how that guy hates to be kept waiting."

Jack and Wuya soon found themselves at the entrance of a luxurious summer getaway somewhere in Asia. "Not bad for someone who's done time." Jack observed with Wuya nodding. Upon arriving, PandaBubba's two lead henchmen escorted them to the backyard, where the crime boss was lying on a floating rubber chair in a pool wearing nothing but a tiny swimsuit.

Jack covered his eyes. "Couldn't you have at least changed before leading me back here?"

"And miss out on that face?" PandaBubba asked before laughing his signature laugh.

Jack looked away and noticed a very familiar form tending to the grill. "F-Bot?!"

The robot turned and took on an offended look. "Oh, bonjour, ex-Boss Jack." He greeted sourly.

"How did-what are you-?"

PandBubba climbed out of the pool and put on a black-and-white bathrobe. "Who do you think traded that toilet for him on that online auction? Thanks for that, by the way, I definitely got the better end of _this_ deal."

"What do you mean? And why did you call me here in the first place?"

"As you may know, to stay on top of the criminal underworld, one has to…expand their horizons. My company, Bubba Boy, has taken all sorts of business angles, such as my brief, eh, 'partnership' with Tohomiko Electronics."

Jack scoffed.

"Now, I have my eyes set on Asia'a beef market."

Jack blinked. "That's random."

"Do you have any idea how many Asian dishes use beef? It's practically a staple!" PandaBubba retorted. "Anyway, thanks to your machine, my beef is the best."

"Oh really?"

"Really, Jack." F-Bot said. "Here, try a patented Panda Burger! The best burger around! Brought to you only by Bubba Boy Enterprises. PandaBurgerispandainnameonlyproductdoesnotactuallycontainmeatofendangeredspecieseitherwaynorefunds." He quickly added at the end.

"Gimme that!" Jack said as he took the burger from F-Bot's hand and took a bite. His eyes widened. "Ooohh…that's good cow meat!" he said as he chowed down the rest of the burger.

"Yes, but I plan to make it even better." PandaBubba held up a vial filled with green liquid. "Due to my…unique powers of persuasion, I was able to have some contacts of mine whip up this biochemical."

Jack's eyes lit up. "Is it illegal?"

PandaBubba grinned. "Very. This serum, when injected into a cow, will make it extra big and flavorful, making sure that my beef will be the best. With this, I will monopolize the culinary markets all over Asia!" PandaBubba laughed again.

Jack licked his fingers for a final taste of the burger. "While I'm glad to see you _finally_ broadening your horizons past Hong Kong, I still don't know what all this has to do with me."

"You see, Spicer, while I could use any old cows for this, I have my eyes set on the famous Texas longhorns. They are extra big and juicy, making for even better meat. But I need someone with a certain knack for evil to, round 'em up as they say, someone with a unique evil vision to do what my henchmen cannot."

Now Jack understood. He rubbed his knuckles across his coat. Now came the negotiating. "I'd love to help PB, but you know how big Texas is. Tracking down these cows could be a real challenge…"

PandaBubba picked up a briefcase and opened it, showing stacks upon stacks of American dollars.

Jack's pupils briefly turned into dollar signs. "But I can manage."

PandaBubba closed the briefcase. "So we have a deal?" He asked, extending his hand.

Jack shook it. "Deal."

* * *

Later, Jack was sitting on his new toilet, which had features such as a disco ball and snack trays.

"PandBubba may get some use out of F-Bot…" Jack said as he finished his business. "But this toilet is a must-have for any self-respecting evildoer!" After he was done, Jack went over to a computer he had installed. "And with a few of my own personalized evil twists, I can work on my top-secret evil plans in private!" Jack pressed a few buttons and a compartment opened up, revealing a bottle of green liquid. "Oh yeah." Jack walked out of the facility only to come face-to-face with Wuya. "Ack! A little privacy, please?!"

"Do I want to ask what took so long?" Wuya said.

"Relax, ghost face. I was working on my newest evil plan." Jack said as he walked over to a desk.

"You mean that ridiculous cow thing?"

"Wuya, do I look like an idiot?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?"

"Twice I've worked with PandaBubba, and twice he's double-crossed me. You really think I'm gonna fall for his flattery _again_?"

Wuya tilted her head. "What are you saying?"

"You know the Toxic Orchid Serum I kept?" Jack asked, briefly pulling the liquid-containing Shen Gong Wu from his pocket before putting it back in. "With a small sample of PandBubba's formula, I've created _this_!" Jack held up his bottle. "Using the Orchid Serum and my own genius nanobot technology, I've converted this mega-cow serum into every robot-themed evil genius' dream come true!"

"And that is?"

"ROBO-COW SERUM! Muahahahahaha!"

"?"

Jack sighed. "Once the cows are injected with this stuff, it'll turn them into robots. _My_ robots. Pandafreak won't know what hit 'im!"

Wuya hmm'd. "That _is_ evil…perhaps the new Shen Gong Wu that just revealed itself will help."

"Ooh, new Wu? Tell me, tell me!"

* * *

Having mounted the Blue Feather Eagle, the monks soared through the Texan mountains. Dojo suddenly twitched before the lower half of his body became inflated and he started floating into the air before Clay grabbed him. "Are you okay, little lizard hombre?"

"I'm turning into a living balloon animal! What do you think?!" Dojo shot back. Clay squeezed, making Dojo open his mouth and emit a cartoon deflating noise as he went back to normal. "Oh yeah, that's better, thanks." Dojo said gratefully before he pulled out the scroll. "If you won't mind a slight detour, the Tag of Cherokee has just revealed itself." The scroll image showed a Wu that resembled a dog collar. "It's sorta like the Tongue of Saiping's twin."

"Tongue of what?" Ping Pong asked.

"Saiping. It gives the user the most useful ability to talk to animals." Omi explained.

"Exactly," Dojo continued. "Whereas the Tag of Cherokee allows animals to talk to you." The image showed the monk putting the collar on a cat and the cat opening its mouth and making talking motions. "Just be careful, some animals don't know when to shut up." Dojo finished as he closed the scroll.

"I could finally hear what my goat Molly is really thinkin'!" Clay said happily. "Let's go git it!"

Buddy Blue cawed and changed course, heading for the Wu.

Soon, the monks came to a rocky range with several tall, flat formations. On top of one sat the Tag of Cherokee. It resembled a yellow collar with dark-yellow edges and a pattern that resembled a line of white skinny upside-down hearts. The inside of the collar was dark-brown with light-brown edges. Attached by a small metal ring was a tag shaped like a flat animal head. It had dark-brown outer "fur" with light-brown face "fur" and two small triangular ears. Two green eyes were surrounded by dark interconnected rings above a square mouth consisting of blue lips, four round upper teeth, and a purple tongue.

"There it is!" Ping Pong said, pointing to it.

"And it is all ours!" Omi added.

Suddenly, a certain evil boy genius zoomed up above the other side of the formation. "Wishful thinking, Cheeseball, but I've got an evil moneymaking scheme to get back to, so if you don't mind, I'll just take this and get going." Jack snatched the collar and zoomed away.

"Dream on!" Raimundo shouted as Buddy Blue flew after him. Even though the bird was faster, it was also bigger, causing Jack to have the advantage diving in-between the rocky hills. Eventually, the monks lost sight of him entirely.

"Oh great! Where'd he go now?" Kimiko said as she looked around.

"Gotta give 'im credit, Spicer's as slippery as a rattlesnake after takin' a bath in a butter churn!" Clay agreed.

"What can he do with a Shen Gong Wu that allows animals to talk? Jack does not even have a pet!" Omi questioned.

"Even so, he mentioned some sort of evil plot. We should be on our toes." Ping Pong cautioned.

"In the meantime, let's get going to that party. Don't wanna keep your family waiting, Clay." Raimundo said as Buddy Blue turned back around.

"Just ya'll wait. Mah grandpappy's birthday bash is gonna be as fun as wrestlin' greased pigs on a rainy Tuesday!" Clay said happily.

* * *

Soon enough, the gang arrived at a ranch at which a rodeo was currently happening. The monks had all changed into their Texas clothes. Even Ping Pong had managed to find a proper outfit for the occasion. Overseeing the rodeo was a large, brawny dark-skinned man with bushy white hair and beard. One of his dark eyes was covered by a black eyepatch. The man wore a pink shirt and a brown vest with a yellow choker around his neck as well as a brown belt, blue jeans, and brown boots; all this was topped by a brown hat with a red strap.

"Grandpappy!" Clay called out. The man turned and smiled. "Clay my boy! Great to see ya again!" He said as he went to Clay and hugged him. "Happy hundredth, Grandpappy!" Clay said.

"It is happy now that you're here!" Grandpappy Bailey answered. "And these must be your Xiao-pow friends we keep hearin' about!"

Clay chuckled. "'Xiaolin', Grandpappy, but yeah, this is them."

"There ya are, Clay!"

Clay turned toward the voice. "Mama, Daddy!" Mr. Bailey walked up along with a woman who looked a lot like Clay's sister Jessie with brown hair. "Guys, ya'll remember mah daddy. And this is my mama."

"Nice to meet you both." Kimiko said, bowing.

The woman chuckled. "Now now, no need to be so formal. We keep things simple here in Texas."

"Well, don't just stand there like a sheep in winter! Enjoy the party! We've got the best Texas-style buffet anyone could ask for!" Mr. Bailey said, gesturing towards a long table.

"Sound good to me!" Raimundo said as he and the others headed over to the table. The spread was rather impressive; basically any meat product known to man (or Bailey) was there. Omi, being a vegetarian, just grabbed a few lemon salsa cookies that were shaped like musical notes along with a couple bottles of milk. Kimiko chose some fish by Clay's uncle Fred. Raimundo had picked up a steak cut in the shape of Texas when it was lassoed out of his grip.

"Hey!" Raimundo shouted only to stop and growl when he saw the culprit. The person behind the lasso was a teenage girl with red hair and dressed in Western biker clothes. Beside her were two other similarly dressed girls; one with dirty blonde hair and a cross-eyed one with brown hair in pigtails. The redhead took a bite of the steak. "Well well, if it ain't the fancy monk-folk."

"Black Vipers." Raimundo said, reaching for his Sword of Lucida. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The redhead, Belle, chuckled. "Clay's not the only one who can bring guests, you know."

"Howdy, big brother."

Clay grinned. "Jessie!" Clay ran to his younger sister and picked her up in a bear hug. "I've missed ya, baby sis!"

"Me too, big bro." Jessie said, not bothered at all by how easily Clay had picked her up. When she had been let down, Jessie noticed the dirty looks the monks and the Black Vipers were giving each other. "Now now, no need to fuss. We've turned ourselves around, remember? Well, fer the most part." Jessie said under her breath.

"Yeah." Belle agreed. "But don't go thinkin' that means we'll go easy on ya if ya'll tick us off."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, just with a Texan drawl." Raimundo responded. The groups gave each other one more look before going back to the buffet. Clay looked back at the rodeo. "Hoo-wee, Uncle Buford's givin' Uncle Fred a run fer his money!"

Jessie giggled. "Ya'll shoulda been here sooner, Clay, Auntie Mae whupped 'em all."

"By the way, is Patty here yet?" Clay asked, looking around.

Jessie averted her gaze. "Sorry, Clay, ya just missed 'im."

"He didn't wanna stick around fer Grandpappy's one hundredth birthday?!" Clay asked with wide eyes.

Jessie rubbed the back of her neck. "Ya know that all this was never, ya know, his style." She said, gesturing to the rodeo taking place a short ways off. "'Sides, he said he wanted to leave before you showed up." Jessie sighed. "I tried to convince 'im otherwise, but he wouldn't listen."

Clay put his hand on her shoulder. "Now don't go beatin' yerself up over this, Jessie. I made things right with you, and you can bet yer motorbike I'll do the same with him!" Jessie smiled, and then frowned again. "By the way, Clay, I hear yer fancy temple was wrecked. Ya'll ain't got no home now, do ya?"

Clay smiled. "No, but don't you worry, we'll find a new one soon. Your big brother can take care of himself."

"Ah know, Clay, but to help ya along, I wanna give ya somethin'." Jessie held out a Shen Gong Wu Clay hadn't seen in quite a while.

"The Wings o' Tinabi? Oh but Jessie, you love that Wu!"

"Ah do, ah do, but if we're bein' honest here, ya'll need it more than ah do, and it's high time ah started bein' honest." Clay took the Wings of Tinabi and hugged Jessie again. "Yer the best, sis."

"Stop th' rodeo! Stop th' rodeo!" Someone shouted. Uncle Buford stopped his bull as another Bailey ran around panting.

"What in tarnation-" Grandpappy Bailey said before being interrupted.

"Grandpappy-horrible news! Yer cattle-they've all vanished!"

"Say what now?!"

"It's true, every last one o' 'em, even yer prize bull, they's all just up 'n gone, like a magic trick!"

"What low-down varmint would do such a thing?" Clay asked as he and the other monks came up.

"Ah think this'un might be a clue." The man said as he held up a small business card for "Jack Spicer: Master of Evil".

The monks growled. "Jack Spicer." They all said. "But why would he be interested in a bunch of cows?" Kimiko questioned.

"Who cares?" Jessie asked as she cracked her knuckles. "Any excuse to pound that girly boy is good enough fer me! Let's ride!"

"Hold on there, Jessie. Jack may be girly, but he's still dangerous. Ya'll stay here."

"But Clay-"

"No buts this time, lil' sister. Don't you worry none, I'll be back, with Grandpappy's cattle. Let's saddle up!"

Dojo expanded as the monks all climbed on. "Personally, I think a saddle would just chafe." He mumbled. "Clay wait." Grandpappy Bailey said, stopping them. "Take this." He reached into his poclet and pulled out an odd object that resembled a white cow horn with a patch of orange at the end and tied up with rope so as to fit around the neck; it was finished off with two small black feathers dangling at the bottom.

"What's that?" Raimundo asked as Clay took the horn in his hands.

"That's the Silver Longhorn. An Indian chief gave that thing to mah grandpappy a long time ago." Grandpappy Bailey answered. "He used t' tell me that the Chosen Cowboy would one day be able to use it t' summon the legendary magic stallion Thunderhoof. 'Course that's just an old pony tale," He stopped to chuckle at his joke. "But take it anyway, y'know, fer luck. Not that ye need it."

"Thanks, Grandpappy! I'll make ya proud!" Clay called back as they flew off to follow Jack's trail. Jessie just watched them go and groaned.

* * *

"…And by the time they finally figured out which Kimiko was which, I had already gotten away with all but one of their Wu!"

Jack laughed along with his new bovine friend. He had rounded up all the cattle into a "Bubba Boy" brand train. Most of them were cows, but there was one big brown bull with a ring in its nose. Said bull was wearing the Tag of Cherokee Shen Gong Wu around his neck, which enabled him to speak and understand Jack's stories. "I gots t' admit, Jack, this is the most dang fun I've had in a while." The bull said in a deep voice. He then let out several moos to translate what Jack was saying to the cows, who couldn't understand the human. The rest of the cows started laughing too.

"Well there's a lot more where that came from!" Jack said. " _Even if they mostly involve me losing_." He mumbled.

The doors to their car then opened and in walked PandaBubba along with his two henchmen and F-Bot holding a plate of Panda Burgers. "I have to admit, Spicer, you have done a good job keeping these 'cash cows' quiet." PandaBubba laughed at his own joke. He held out the briefcase with the cash inside. "I suppose I could pay you now…"

"If you were ever going to pay me in the first place." Jack finished.

PandaBubba snapped the case shut. "If I was ever going to pay you in the-wait, how did you know that?" PandaBubba asked confused.

"PB, PB, PB, did you really think I was gonna let you rip me off _three times in a row_?" Jack asked in a deadpan tone.

"Well yes…" PandBubba's two henchmen got in front of him. "But what are _you_ going to do about it?"

"Me? Nothing." Jack grinned. "My new friends on the other hand…"

"Jack, is this the guy you told me about?" The bull asked in a threatening tone.

"Oh yeah, Pandafreak here wants to inject you with his mega-cow serum to make you all big and fat!"

The bull snorted and mooed, sending the message to his female cohorts. The whole herd backed PandaBubba and his two henchmen against the wall.

"Wait! Don't listen to him! I love cows!" the crime boss cried desperately.

"Forget it, PB! Without the Tag, this bad boy's the only one who can understand you, and he's on my side! Whaddya say we give these freeloaders the boot, huh pal?"

"Sounds good t' me." The bull said before moving in.

"Hoo boy…" PandaBubba said before he and his cronies were rammed through the wall; fortunately, the two henchmen broke PandaBubba's fall.

F-Bot looked through the new PandaBubba-shaped hole in the wall before looking back at the cows and throwing out the plate of Panda Burgers. "So, would you care for a victory feast…Boss Jack?" the robot asked nervously.

"Later. Now that we've stopped PandaBubba's plan…" Jack reached into his trench coat pocket, pulled out a syringe, and injected it into the bull. "It's time to start mine. Sorry, buddy." He sneered.

The bull tensed up before his body was covered with a metal covering that seemed to grow out of his skin. His eyes turned into optic lenses and jets formed on the underside of his hooves. In seconds, the bull had been transformed into a mindless Robo-Cow, and without the ability to comprehend the human's actions, the other cows remained blissfully unaware.

Jack took the Tag of Cherokee off of the new robot's neck and put it in his pocket. "I don't need _you_ anymore right now." Jack said to himself before cackling at his success.

* * *

Meanwhile, the monks had gotten to where the train was going to go. Raimundo, Omi, and Ping Pong were circling above on Dojo whilst Clay and Kimiko were down below next to a cliff face. "Looks like they're in position." Raimundo noted. He looked to see the train approaching in the distance. "And here comes Jack."

"Kanabi Star, Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko said as she hurled a huge fireball from her Star up towards the cliff. A large boulder broke off and tumbled down the mountain.

"Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" Clay said as he punched the ground in front of the boulder, making it fly up and land directly on the tracks in front of the train.

"Blockage is set up." Omi noted. "Now it is our turn!"

"Right." Dojo said as he flew down toward the train. When he was low enough, the two yellow-skinned ones jumped down atop the train. They made their way across the cars until they leapt into the one with the cattle.

"Jack Spicer! Surrender, or-"

"Save the threats, Chrome Domes!" Jack grabbed the suitcase of cash PandaBubba dropped and jumped on board his new robot. "Robo-Cow, let's roll!" The roboticized bovine mooed before activating the jets on its hooves and rising up, bursting out of the car's roof. "Ow! Okay, we'll work on those exits…" Jack mumbled as they along with F-Bot flew off.

Thanks to the commotion, the other cows started mooing anxiously. Omi turned to Ping Pong. "Clay said that cows can be calmed by singing. You try that while I stop the train."

"I will do my best, Brother Omi." Ping Pong said as Omi headed toward the engine. Ping Pong looked back at the cows. "Well, here goes nothing…" He took a deep breath.

Omi made it to the front and saw the boulder rapidly approaching. The Dragon of Water frantically fiddled with the controls before finally pulling the brake and stopping the train inches away from the rock.

Ping Pong walked up to him. "Whoa doggies! I have always wanted to say that."

"Have you calmed the cows already?" Omi asked surprised.

"Oui oui, Brother Omi." The two boys went back to the car to see that the cows had indeed been pacified.

"I do not know how you did that so fast, but good job, Little Gecko." Omi said, still a bit confused. "Now we wait for the others to catch up."

Within a minute, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay had caught up on Dojo. The Dragon of Earth took it upon himself to get the cows off the train, keeping them calm by singing a certain folk tune as he herded.

" _Home, home on the range,_

 _Where the deer and the antelope play,_

 _Where seldom is heard a discouraging word_

 _And the skies are not cloudy all day"_

Clay's singing kept the cows easy as they were all led off the train. That is until Jack came back on his flying robot cow, this time accompanied by Wuya.

"You didn't think I'd let you off _that_ easy, did you, Xiaolin Losers?!" Jack said. "Thanks to my Robo-Cow serum, I'm just getting started!"

Wuya floated up to Jack. "By the way, does that robot serum work on _other_ things as well?" She asked hopefully. Jack turned to her surprised. "Well no. I used PandaBubba's cow formula as a base, so it only works on, you know, cows."

Wuya glowered.

"But hey, cows ain't so bad once you get past the smell! Watch and learn." He patted his metal steed on the side of its head. "Hey buddy, tell the other cows that the monks plan to eat them." The bull's eyes glowed red and it emitted a robotic mooing noise that translated Jack's message to the other cows. They all looked at the monks angrily and pawed the ground.

"Uh-oh." Kimiko said. "Guys, I think we're about to have a-"

"Stampede! Run for it!" Raimundo shouted as the cows started chasing the monks. As the herd stampeded, Ping Pong frantically asked what to do.

"I dunno, but we'd better think of somethin' soon! Dead ahead!" Dojo shouted from Clay's shoulder, pointing to a cliff in the distance. The cows were going over of they weren't.

As he ran, Clay noticed a few cows breaking loose from the herd. "We gotta round 'em up!"

"I'm open to suggestions!" Raimundo panted.

"I got one!" A new voice shouted.

Clay recognized that voice. "Jessie?!"

Four motorbikes shaped like black snakes came zooming up. They broke into two factions of two and went on either side of the cows, managing to keep them all together. On the left side, Jessie and Belle tried to redirect the cows before they leapt off the edge of the cliff, but Jack had come back down and was making his robot cow send encouraging messages to the female cows to fight back against the intruders.

Jessie took off her helmet. "Jack Spicer, ya dirty, no-good varmint! Do ya'll want our grandpappy's entire stock to end up splatterin' on the ground?!"

"Ugh, _you_ again?" Jack groaned. "Well at least I'm winning…kind of."

"Not fer long, Spicer! Wings o' Tinabi!" Clay shouted, holding up the Wu as the wings extended and carried Clay through the air, leaving a rainbow trail behind. He picked up his fellow Dragons-in-training and carried them out of harm's way before flying towards Jack. He tried to fight, but with just one hand and a thick enemy, he was quickly knocked away, landing ungraciously on the opposite side of the stampede as his friends and sister. He looked as the cows all ran toward their death.

"No…ah failed. Mah friends, mah sis', mah grandpappy, all o' em, I ain't no chosen cowboy, ah'm just a failure, plain 'n simple."

Suddenly, Clay felt the ground below him shift. Clay looked to see that a large green feminine monster had just risen out of the earth in front of him. Clay stood up and clenched his fists, but the monster just gestured to a spot to her left. Clay looked to see the Silver Longhorn lying on the ground; it had fallen out of his pocket when the metal bull kicked him. Still keeping his eye on the beast, Clay went over to the relic and picked it up. The monster just nodded before sinking back into the dirt, the hole closing up afterwards, as if it had never been there to begin with.

"What in tarnation was that all about?" Clay asked himself. He looked ahead to the stampede getting ever-so-closer to the cliff. "Worth a try, I suppose." Clay said before bringing the horn to his lips and blowing. To his shock, a rainbow shot out of it. It went up into the sky before suddenly stopping. Walking out of it like an invisible wormhole was a horse with dark-blue fur and a white mane and tail that glowed like lightning. The horse galloped down the rainbow and onto the ground until it standing in front of Clay expectantly.

"Thunderhoof…?" Clay said incredulously. The stallion nodded before whinnying and gesturing Clay to get on. Shaking his head, Clay did as the animal requested. Thunderhoof galloped faster than any horse Clay had ever ridden before. In an instant, they caught up to the Black Vipers (who just looked at them shocked) and soon got well ahead of the whole herd. Thunderhoof skidded to a stop on the edge of the cliff.

"Is that Clay?" Kimiko asked from her position.

"Yeah…but where did he get that horse?" Raimundo replied, squinting to make sure he was really seeing that.

Thunderhoof stared down the rapidly approaching cows. "If ya'll have a plan, Thunderhoof, now might be a good time t' do it." Clay said nervously. Thunderhoof than raised a hoof and stomped it on the ground. A shockwave of what looked like electricity spread out from him. As it touched the cows, they all skidded to a stop just in front of Clay, who wiped his brow in relief.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Jack shouted from his ride. Thunderhoof stomped the ground again; this time, a bolt of electricity went straight from his hoof and struck the metal bull. Jack was thrown off as the bull landed on the ground. Before Jack's eyes, the metal disappeared until the bovine was back to normal. The animal shook his head.

"Whoa…" the others all said.

Thunderhoof whinnied to all the cows. They got the message and turned to Jack angrily. He started backing up. "Uh, heh heh, hey what's up…buddies?" He asked nervously, only for the bull to just snort in rage.

"Bye." Jack squeaked as he activated the Heli-Bot and flew up before he could get trampled. As he and Wuya flew away, Jack reached inside his trench coat pocket. He briefly pulled out the Tag of Cherokee before putting it back and continuing on his way.

The monks and Black Vipers all gathered around.

"Clay, what-how did-who's-" Kimiko couldn't stop stammering.

Clay smiled and turned to his sister. "Jessie, you remember those stories about Thunderhoof, right?"

"The magic stallion? Ah thought that was just a myth! Now ah've seen ev'rythin'!" The cowgirl shook her head.

Clay stroked Thunderhoof's mane. "Come on, partners, let's go home."

Thanks to Thunderhoof and the Black Vipers, the cows were all safely herded back to Grandpappy Bailey's ranch. Needless to say, the old cowboy was quite thrown for a loop when the legend of the Silver Longhorn turned out to be real, but admitted that Clay was the best candidate for the Chosen Cowboy he had ever seen ("Cow _boy_ " he calmly told Jessie).

"Welp, ah think that's enough magicky hocus pocus fer one day!" Daddy Bailey announced. "Who's up fer Grandpappy's special birthday cake?" All the guests cheered. A giant cake, enlarged almost to the point of being cartoonish, was wheeled out; it was colored brown with light-blue icing.

Grandpappy Bailey walked up to it. "It's mah sister's special recipe, rest her soul: Double decker chocolate refried bean wit' cactus icin'!" All the Baileys cheered and ran to get their fill (which, given the Baileys, probably wouldn't leave a lot of leftovers). When the dust cleared, the monks of Wind, Fire, Water, and Wood as well as Dojo were left standing there.

"Wait… _what_ did he say?" Raimundo asked.

"I don't even wanna know." Kimiko stated.

* * *

After the party was over (and the monks had politely refused Clay's offer to share his cake with them), the monks got ready to leave. Clay's closest family and the Black Vipers had gathered to see them off.

"Now you take care out there, y'hear?" Daddy Bailey asked.

"And write soon!" his wife added.

"Ah will, ah will." Clay blushed.

Raimundo walked up to Belle and offered his hand. "Gotta admit, you guys-I mean girls really came through back there. We make a pretty good team."

Belle looked at it for a moment before shaking it and Raimundo pretty hard. "Yeah, s'pose we do."

"Thanks fer comin', Jessie." Clay said.

Jessie smirked. "'Course. Ah had to, givin' yer 'bout as thick as week-old slop!"

"Well yer still as stubborn as a mule at its afternoon mealtime!" The two siblings laughed good-naturedly.

"Well guys," Raimundo finally said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm itchin' to try out our new ride!"

"Ah hear that, partner." Clay said before blowing into the Silver Longhorn again. With another rainbow, Thunderhoof appeared. The monks all piled on, Clay in front, with no trouble.

Grandpappy Bailey walked up. "You've earned it, Clay. Happy trails, and thanks fer everythin'!"

"Bye everyone!" Clay and the others said as Thunderhoof carried them off, the Baileys and Vipers all waving good-bye.

Clay fingered the horn around his neck, feeling proud to wear it, and of using its power to help and protect those he cares about.

"Alright everyone, all together on three. A-one, a-two, a-three…"

" _Home, home on the range_

 _Where the deer and the antelope play_

 _Where seldom is heard a discouraging word_

 _And the skies are not cloudy all day_ "


	14. S1E13: Princess Kaila

**OMAC001-Indeed she is. I had fun writing her.**

 **Well guys, this is it, the season 1 finale! It's been a while since this story began, hasn't it? Anyway, without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

Chase Young was in his throne room meditating. He was floating several feet in the air with candles around him. He was focusing, waiting, expecting.

Outside, the moon was slowly moving closer to the sun. Finally, the edges of the two celestial bodies touched.

Chase's eyes opened, showing them to be bloodshot. He grinned with razor-sharp reptilian teeth.

" _It's time…_ "

A ways away, a rainbow shot through the air; a horse was galloping on the rainbow carrying five kids and a dragon on its back.

Just another ordinary sight.

"I must admit, Thunderhoof makes for a very smooth ride." Omi admitted.

"Yeah, though the whole rainbow thing still seems a bit off." Raimundo commented as he looked blow them.

"Dojo, I have been meaning to ask you." Omi reached into his robe and pulled out the Cosmic Burlap. He reached into it and pulled out one of their Shen Gong Wu. "What powers does the Cheetah Paw possess again?"

Dojo held out the scroll and opened it to the appropriate section. "The Cheetah Paw lets the user travel through time."

"Like the Sands of Time?" Raimundo asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Not exactly. You see, the Paw can send you through time, but it's temporary; sooner or later you just pop back in the present."

"How long can we stay in another time?" Ping Pong asked.

"That's just it; you can't control how long you stay. So whatever you plan to do, do it quick."

"Hmm…" Omi said before putting the Paw back in the Burlap. "We must be careful of when to use this Shen Gong Wu. Time travel can be most dangerous."

"You can say that again." Raimundo said, shaking his head.

Dojo suddenly gasped. "Master Fung!" The monks all followed his gaze to again see the ghostly image of Master Fung conjured by the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman hovering in the sky. "Greetings, my students."

"Master Fung! Hi, how are you?" Dojo began before Omi clamped a hand over his snout. "Master Fung, how much further are we in our quest to find a new temple?"

"Your quest is almost complete, young ones. You have collected almost all of the keys to your new temple. Thunderhoof will lead you to the end of your journey. Farewell." Master Fung's image faded away.

"No, Puppy Eyes, don't go! I miss you so much!" Dojo started sniffling. Kimiko patted his head sympathetically as Thunderhoof traveled on.

Shadow walked into Chase's throne room. "You called?" she asked as Chase lowered himself to the ground. He evilly smiled at her. "The time has come, Shadow, the eclipse is upon us."

"Yeah, you finally gonna tell me what that's about?" Shadow asked, folding her arms.

Chase folded his arms and lowered his head, keeping his eyes closed but still giving that little smile. "You see Shadow, not too long before you were born, there was a rare cosmic alignment known as the Heylin Eclipse. It only lasted a few hours, but during that time I became very weak, and all the cats were forced into a deep sleep."

"And it's happening again?"

Chase's smile grew slightly and his eyes opened. "Quite literally the opposite. This, my dear student, is the night of the parallel event, the Xiaolin Eclipse."

"Xiaolin Eclipse?"

"Yes, it will give back what the Heylin Eclipse took, making me more powerful than ever."

"Hmm, powerful enough to reduce the monks to dust?" Shadow asked with a wicked glint in her eye.

"Nothing quite that…easy. However, it will allow me to do something…almost as evil." Chase couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at his cat servants gathering around him.

In a distant tribal village overlooking a cliff, a rainbow shot through the sky and touched down, Thunderhoof making his way down seconds later.

"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to be? It looks so…peaceful." Raimundo noted as they disembarked.

Thunderhoof whinnied in confirmation, looking a little unsure himself. Having done his job, in a flash of light the magic horse disappeared until he would be summoned again.

Chase watched them from the Heylin Eye. "Let's give the monks a warm welcome, shall we?" He slid a certain Shen Gong Wu on over his hand. "Golden Tiger Claws." Chase slashed open a portal and his feline servants all leapt through.

The cats appeared in front of the monks, causing the townsfolk to run away in terror.

"Never mind." Rai said as he and the others readied their Shoku weapons. Chase and Shadow themselves then materialized in front of the cats.

"Xiaolin Warriors", Chase greeted. "I'm afraid your journey has come to an end."

"Our journey has just begun, even if we do not know exactly where we are heading!" Omi shouted back.

Chase snapped his fingers and the cats lunged, some turning back into their human forms.

"Neptune Helmet, Wind!" Raimundo shouted, putting on the helmet and unleashing a massive windstorm around his body, blowing a few of Chase's burliest animal skin-wearing barbarians off their feet.

"Jet Bootsu, Fire!" Kimiko said, flying into the air with massive amounts of flame coming out of her shoes. She used her dramatic speed boost to zoom over the cats and set their tails on fire.

Clay ducked under the swords of a couple Roman-era knights. "Ruby of Ramses, Earth!" Clay aimed the gem at the ground and large chunks of the ground rose up from under the knights, throwing them into the air.

"Two-Ton Tunic!" Ping Pong shouted, encasing himself in the metal covering, leaving a short Polynesian warrior to punch him with no effect. As the servant clutched his hand, Ping Pong deactivated the Tunic. "Wooden Woodpecker Pecking Wood!" Ping Pong slammed his head into the masked man's, disorienting him before kicking him away.

"I see improvement." Chase admitted with his arms folded. "But that will not help you prevent what's coming."

Raimundo turned to him and took off the Neptune Helmet. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" He said, getting into a battle pose.

Chase smiled and help up his hand. "It's time to add some new members to my army, starting with the noble leader!" A burst of glowing green energy shot from Chase's hand. Raimundo didn't react in time as it struck him. The leader grunted as he felt his body changing. He felt hot as he was forced onto all fours. He could feel hair growing all over his body. His teeth became sharper and something…weird was growing in his dorsal region. When it was done, Raimundo took a second to look at himself.

'Am I-' he began to think, but that second was all he had before his mind was suddenly filled with primal thoughts, including urges to attack and blind loyalty to his new master.

Kimiko took a brief reprieve from her own fight to see what had happened and her eyes bugged out. Where Raimundo once stood was now a young lion, with brown fur and the start of a spiky dark-brown mane just on the top of his head.

"RAI?!" Kimiko exclaimed. That was as far as she got before Chase blasted her too, turning her into a white spotless cheetah. Kimiko barely got out a word of protest before her mind shut off and she licked one of her new paws.

Another blast converted the unexpecting Ping Pong, making him into a small yellow-furred housecat with his glasses.

Shadow, meanwhile, had crept up to a small rocky ridge near the edge of the cliff where Clay had ended up. She kicked a large boulder down, the Dragon of Earth barely noticing it before being pinned.

Omi stood shocked as he watched his three friends-turned-cats walk up to Chase. "How…no…you can't do that! You cannot just turn them into cats! They have to swear their loyalty to you first!"

Chase grinned as he felt Ping Pong's three dots being transferred to his own head, only rotated into a diagonal line. "Not this time, little one. Thanks to the Xiaolin Eclipse, we can skip that part, at least for now. I do hope you weren't too attached to them."

Seething in rage, Omi rushed at Chase Young without a plan.

 _ **BIG**_ mistake.

Chase kicked Omi away; the little monk was then backhanded by Shadow, who had come to join in the fun. The two took turns slapping Omi back and forth, the monk too drunk in anger and desperation to stop and think first. Finally, Chase picked Omi up and threw him on the ground; Omi was too weak to move.

"Time to join the rest of your friends." Chase said as he charged up another ball of energy in his hand.

Omi grunted and reached inside his robe. "Not…this…time." He pulled his hand back out. "Zena... Dragonfly!"

Omi's body flashed green as he was suddenly filled with energy. He got up and zipped away from Chase as quickly as he could; unfortunately he didn't look where he was going and ran off the edge of the cliff, where Clay watched him fall.

"Omi!" Clay called before growling in the Heylin's direction. "No one treats my friends like that! Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" Clay punched the rock above him and made it shatter. He saw Chase firing a blast toward him, and knowing that he couldn't stop it, took out the Silver Longhorn and threw it over the edge of the cliff before he was zapped and turned into a very muscular mountain lion.

Chase looked down the cliff before Shadow walked up to him. "What now?"

"If Omi is still alive down there, he is no longer a threat. All other times he was only victorious because of help from his friends, which as you can see is no longer available." Chase answered as his four new cats all walked up to him and stood loyally.

Shadow knelt down and stroked Kimiko's head; she purred in response. "I could get used to this." She said.

"Yes yes, now let's go. With our Xiaolin enemies eliminated, it is time for the next step: world domination." Chase said as he smiled and snapped his fingers, sending everyone back to his lair.

Down at the bottom of the cliff, Omi lay sprawled on his back. His eyes fluttered open and he slowly sat up and rubbed his head. He felt something moving in his robe before Dojo popped out. "Omi, you okay?"

"Nngh…yes, I am fine." Omi slowly stood up and looked around. He saw the Silver Longhorn lying a few feet away. He walked over to it and picked it up. "Clay…Chase got him too."

"What are we gonna do now?" Dojo asked.

"Chase said this new power was due to the 'Xiaolin Eclipse'." Omi looked up at the sky, where there was indeed an eclipse happening; the moon was only a little bit over the sun. Omi turned back to his reptilian friend.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea what's going on! First the Heylin Eclipse, now this 'Xiaolin Eclipse', ugh, it's all so complicated!" Dojo complained as he gripped the side of his head.

Omi looked sad for a moment before he got an idea. He pulled the Cosmic Burlap from his robe and reached inside until he pulled out the Cheetah Paw. Smiling, he fitted it over his right hand.

"What are you doing with that?" Dojo inquired.

"You said the Cheetah Paw can take us through time, correct?"

"Yeah, but just for a while. Why?"

"If you do not know about the Xiaolin Eclipse, then we will get help from the one person who might: Grand Master Dashi!"

Dojo's jaw barely had time to drop before Omi pulled him in. "Cheetah Paw!" The Wu glowed and a golden bubble expanded from it until it encompassed Omi and Dojo. Then it popped and the two were gone.

Omi and Dojo reappeared in a grassy plain. Omi gaped when he saw the Xiaolin temple not too far away, looking brand new.

' _That's because it is. Stay focused_.' Omi reminded himself. "We made it. Fifteen hundred years in the past. Let's go find Dashi. Now if I remember correctly, the greatest Xiaolin Warrior of all time should be spending his daaaaayy…Aha! Sleeping under a tree!" Omi pointed to a tree where a man was sitting taking a nap with his head hidden under his coolie hat. Omi and Dojo walked up to him.

Dojo could barely contain his unrealistically large grin. "I can't believe it! It's really him! Okay, Dojo, deep breaths, deep breaths." Omi kicked him in the leg, causing him to wake up. He took the hat off his face, revealing himself to indeed be Dashi. Dojo actually let out a small sound of excitement.

"Dojo?"

"Yes, Dashi?" Dojo asked excitedly.

Dashi's face took on an annoyed look. "Have you gotten the pink out of my shirt yet?! I'm gonna need it soon!"

Dojo gulped. "Ye-ah. Did I mention I was sorry about that?"

"That is not _your_ Dojo, Grand Master Dashi. He is mine." Omi said, walking up.

"Omi? From the future? What can I do for you, my boy? You're not still figuring out how to get back, are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Omi was confused for a moment before he remembered. "Oh no no no! I already figured _that_ out! And it was most clever of me, if I do say so myself!"

"Oh really?" Dashi asked, smiling.

"I used the Orb of Tornami to encase myself in ice. I am currently buried in the spot where Wuya will one day raise her palace when my friend Raimundo temporarily betrays us and helps her regain her human form. This way, when she raises her palace, she will raise me as well! Ingenious, is it not?" Omi said proudly.

"Oh yeah. Great thinking!" Dashi complimented. "So what are you doing back here? I hope you have a faster way to get home this time."

"Oh I do. This time I am using the Cheetah Paw, see?" Omi showed Dashi the Wu on his hand. "It can take me through time…"

"But we don't know for how long, so we might wanna hurry this up a bit!" Dojo urged.

"Oh right." Omi said, remembering the grave situation. "Grand Master Dashi, we need you help most urgently. It is about Chase Young."

Dashi nodded. "Ah, Chase. Poor guy, deciding to turn evil like that. Though I can't say I was surprised, what with his destiny to be the greatest warrior ever and all that. With that kind of hunger for power, I don't think it was very hard for Hannibal Bean to trick him like that." Dashi laughed. "Not ol' Guan, though! He would never fall for Hannibal's evil promises of power like Chase did."

Omi and Dojo exchanged glances before the former spoke again. "Yes, but it is worse than that! Chase has used the power of some sort of Xiaolin Eclipse to transform my friends into his mindless jungle cat warriors!"

"Jungle cats, huh? So that part of the Lao Mang Lone Soup's power _is_ true…" Dashi mumbled to himself before shaking his head. "Well I can tell you something about the Xiaolin Eclipse: you still have time to save your friends."

"I do?" Omi asked hopefully.

Dashi nodded. "Yup. The effects only become permanent when the Eclipse ends. If you can figure something out before then, your friends'll be fine."

"But what can I do?!"

Dashi held up a finger. "Here's a tip: Chase's strength is also his weakness."

"Please explain-" Omi was cut off when the Wu on his arm started glowing.

"Looks like time's up!" Dojo said.

"Wait, no-" Omi got out before the bubble expanded over him and Dojo and popped, leaving Dashi alone. The old master shook his head. "They'll be back." He said confidently.

Shadow walked into a room of Chase's citadel. There, his four new cats were sitting there, looking at her expectantly. She pulled a large chunk of raw meat from behind her back and all four of them tensed up. Shadow threw the meat on the ground and they all dove in. Ping Pong, being the smallest, found himself being pushed back before finally scooping up the scraps that were thrown to the side by the others' voraciousness.

Shadow walked over to them and stroked Kimiko's head again. "You're my favorite, personally. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between you and me."

The cheetah only purred before going back to her dinner.

Chase, meanwhile, stood before his other cats in his throne room, giving a speech.

"This is the time we have long awaited, my companions. The world shall soon know of our true power. Golden Tiger Claws!" Chase slashed another portal into being. "Now go!"

The cats all leapt through the portal, which led to an unsuspecting village. The citizens could do nothing but flee as the cats smashed through buildings and caused general pandemonium.

Chase watched everything in the Heylin Eyeball.

"Yes…and this is only the beginning."

"Can't wait, CY!"

Chase closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, mentally counted to ten, and then turned around.

"How did you get in here?" He deadpanned.

"All the cats were too busy here to guard the door." Jack Spicer answered.

Chase continued staring.

"So…" Jack put his hands behind his back and gently rocked on his heels. "I hear the monks are part of your cat army now."

' _I won't even ask how he knows that.'_ Chase thought to himself.

"Having 'em at your beck and call…doing whatever you want…all the time…"

Chase still didn't speak.

Jack fell on his knees. "Oh please, turn me into a cat too! At least for a little bit!"

Chase put a hand to his chin. "Hmm…maybe I can squeeze some use out of you after all…" Chase pointed at Jack and called upon the newfound power of the Xiaolin Eclipse once again. Jack felt white fur cover his body and a tail grow out. When he looked at himself again, though, he was unpleasantly surprised.

"Hey! I said I wanted to be a _cat_ , not a _rat_!" Jack squeaked.

Chase smirked. "Also, Spicer, you can get to know your new 'teammates'." Jack looked behind him to see the monk cats standing there…and licking their lips.

The new rat cried out in fear and scampered for his life, the four felines following. Jack just barely managed to squeeze through a small crack in the wall that the cats, even Ping Pong, were too big to fit through. Jack panted with fear as the cats stared at him through the hole.

Omi and Dojo were back at the bottom of the cliff. Omi was shaking the Cheetah Paw on his hand. "Come on, come on! Dojo!"

The dragon shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault that some Shen Gong Wu are so powerful that they need a cool-down period! Too much time travel is bad, you know."

"I must talk with Grand Master Dashi again! I must save my friends before the eclipse ends!" The Paw started glowing again. "Yes! Cheetah Paw!"

"Here we go again." Dojo said as he and Omi were once again encased in a bubble.

Dashi was training when Omi and Dojo reappeared.

"What took ya so long Omi, it's been hours!" Dashi said.

"That is not important! How do I stop Chase?!"

Dashi reached over to a nearby crate and picked something up. "Here, you may need this later." He tossed it to Omi, who caught it. "…A chopstick? How am I supposed to fight evil with a simple-"

"You'd better figure it out before the eclipse ends, that's for sure!" Dashi said, winking before the Cheetah Paw's time limit once again expired. Omi and Dojo found themselves back where they were. Omi groaned. "A stick…he gave me a _stick_!"

"If Dashi gave it to you, it must be important!" Dojo decided.

Omi sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Dashi was correct about the puzzle box after all; I have no reason to doubt him now." Omi looked at it again. "…A STICK?!"

Dojo gulped. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's find Chase. Maybe Thunderhoof can help."

"Right…" Omi held up the Silver Longhorn. "I hope it will work for me…" Omi blew into it and sure enough, Thunderhoof appeared. Omi and Dojo hopped on its back. "Come on, Thunderhoof, let's go save our friends!" Thunderhoof whinnied in agreement before riding off on his rainbow.

Chase watched them go in the Eye. He turned and snapped his fingers. "Come." He said. The monk cats were napping near the wall. They all blinked awake and stood to attention. Jack the rat finally decided to come out of the wall, sighing with relief, only for Clay to step on him. The rodent stuck to the underside of the feline's paw, but Clay didn't seem to notice.

Omi, Dojo, and Thunderhoof traveled for a while, eventually making their way to a large mountain somewhere in China. Thunderhoof let Omi and Dojo get off before disappearing again.

"I wonder why Thunderhoof brought us here?" Omi wondered. Dojo suddenly started convulsing and twisting around. "Shen Gong Wu?" Omi asked.

"Ye-up." Dojo said as he put a hand to his mouth.

Omi pulled out the scroll and opened it up. "The Vest of Kimiku?" he read aloud.

Dojo made a small burping sound before sighing in relief. "Yeah. It provides soft floaty cushions from itself; it's kinda like wearing your own personal airbag." The dragon explained. "And lucky us, it's here!"

"Here?"

"Well specifically, up there." Dojo pointed up the mountain. Near the very top sprouted a dead branch, and dangling from it was a black and red vest with a green gem in the center.

Omi's mind was soon taken off of the Wu, however, when he noticed a Golden Tiger Claws portal open not too far away. Chase stepped out followed by his four newest cats, Jack peeling off and being left on the ground as Clay walked forward.

"How fitting." Chase said. "Even when your life as you know it is about to end, you still cling to your foolish quest for the Shen Gong Wu." The cats moved closer.

"Hello, my friends. I do not wish to harm you." Omi greeted.

The cats growled.

"It appears the feeling isn't mutual." Chase remarked.

Omi clenched his fists and lowered his head. "I still believe there is good in you. I still believe you are able to atone for your past crimes." He looked up. "But mark my words, Chase Young. You will _pay_ for this!"

"I beg to differ on both accounts." Chase said before snapping his fingers. The former Dragons-in-training lunged at Omi. Ping Pong, being as small as he was, wasn't much of a threat, so Omi really just had three to deal with.

"Raimundo!" Omi said as he kicked the feline leader in the face. "Remember your first day as a Xiaolin monk, when you pulled my pants down?" He barely avoided being bitten by Kimiko. "Kimiko, do you recall when I went into your room and took a not-so-tasty sample of your lip candy?" He then jumped on Clay's back. "Or when Raimundo and I filled your hat with nine and a half gallons of odd tasting cow milk?!" Clay just roared and threw him off.

Omi looked back up at the Wu dangling from the branch. He pulled another Wu from his pocket. "Pied Pipes!" The four jungle beasts found themselves completely at the mercy of the trumpet-shaped object. Omi made them dance around for a bit before stopping and letting them collapse. He then started jumping up the mountain towards the Vest of Kimiku. He noticed Chase was doing the same. In no time, they had both grabbed hold of the Vest, making it glow.

"Chase Young, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! My Orb of Torpedo against your Golden Tiger Claws!"

"I presume that's not all?"

"You presume correctly. I furthermore challenge you to a Shen Yi Bu Dare for the freedom of my friends."

Chase scoffed. "Very well. If you win, all who have been transformed under tonight's Xiaolin Eclipse shall be restored."

A ways down the mountain, a small pair of white ears perked up. Jack the rat pulled himself out of the dirt. "Everyone?" he asked himself.

"But if you _lose_ ," Chase continued, "You shall swear your loyalty to me, this time for good."

"I accept." Omi said with narrowed eyes. The game is 'Volcano Hopping'! The first to climb the mountain and retrieve the Vest of Kimiku is the winner. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

The mountain expanded and rose into the air. Lava rushed in to fill the expanding voids. The mountain started as an exceptionally wide volcano, but with another volcano rising out of its center, forming a ring of lava. In the second volcano was another one with the same effect, then again before ending at a point, on top of which sprouted the branch holding the Vest. Omi and Chase were put down at the bottom.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" They both shouted.

Immediately the two combatants started jumping and climbing the mountain. Quickly the two experienced fighters made it to the top ridge; there were floating rocky platforms across the volcano until it got to the other volcano in the center. Omi and Chase jumped across before climbing again.

"You know I could have used the Tiger Claws to teleport up to the top?" Chase asked as the two continued up the ledge.

"Yes, but you will not."

"That's because I do not rely on crutches. True power comes from within."

The two got to the next ring of lava around the third volcano with more floating platforms. They quickly jumped across (Chase trying to knock Omi off in the process) before they started climbing once more. Chase noticed the moon completely covering the sun and grinned. His eyes started glowing with power. He quickly raced to the ridge of the third volcano and stood on top, waiting for Omi to catch up. He snapped his fingers.

Omi stopped just short of the ridge. Chase was standing on top with two monk cats on each side.

"Hey, you cannot do that! This Showdown is between you and me! That is the rule!" Omi protested.

"The Xiaolin Eclipse is at its apex; my power transcends even that of a Xiaolin Showdown now! There are no rules anymore." Chase said as the cats all crept closer towards Omi. "You can't win this time, Omi. My strength is too much even for _you_."

' _Chase's strength is also his weakness.'_ Omi remembered Dashi saying.

"He always tries to do everything himself, underestimating the power of others." Omi quietly said to himself. "I have to take advantage of that, but how?" His friends all came closer with the full intention of eating him.

"Hey, kitties!"

Everyone turned their attention to a ways down the mountain where a certain rat was jumping up and down. "Look at me, all tasty and delicious! Come and get me!"

Omi squinted. " _Jack Spicer?_ "

Licking their lips, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay all ran after Jack. "The Vest, Omi! Get the Vest!" the rodent cried as he bolted.

"You meddlesome _pest_!" Chase roared. "When I get my hands on you-" He was interrupted when Omi leapt up to his level and kicked him down the mountain. He stared up at the last mountain, holding his prize on top. Omi ran up the trail and almost got there when one more cat got in his way.

Omi backed up. "Ping Pong, I do not wish to hurt you. Please step aside so I can save you and the others."

Ping Pong didn't move.

Omi was torn. Ping Pong looked just like him when Chase turned him into a cat, just smaller and with glasses. "You are not a household pet. You are the Dragon of Wood, and my Little Gecko, my friend." Ping Pong stopped and seemed to think about Omi's words, but then Chase leapt up behind Omi in full reptilian form and pulled him back, making them both tumble down to the ridge of the last volcano. As Omi fell, the chopstick Dashi had given him fell out of his pocket in front of Ping Pong.

As the two combatants fought below, the cat stared down at the little stick. He put his paw on it. Suddenly the feline felt a strange sensation throughout his little body. He stopped and recoiled. He looked down to see a strange sight on the side of the mountain. Somehow, a tree had horizontally grown from the side of the small mountain, and sitting in the branches of it was a tall, green monster. The tree bent up towards Ping Pong so the beast could look the cat in the eye. Ping Pong didn't know why but looking into the red eyes of that monster gave him a weird sense of familiarity. The cat shook his head and when he looked again, the creature had vanished, leaving nothing to obscure the fight going on at the edge of the volcano below.

"Brother…Omi…?" the cat said, squinting at the short yellow figure that seemed to be losing the fight. His eyes widened as he remembered. He looked up to see the Vest of Kimiku hanging in the tree above.

Omi and Chase tussled on the edge of the third volcano until Chase pinned Omi to the ground, his head hanging over the lava. Omi's hood had fallen off sometime, so the monk openly scowled at Chase.

Chase smiled. "I knew this moment was coming for a while now, Omi. You and your friends have finally met your ends. And now you shall swear your loyalty to me as well."

"It is not over yet, Chase Young!"

Chase raised a claw. "Yes, it is."

Omi closed his eyes and braced himself.

"Chase Young!"

Omi opened his eyes and he and Chase looked up in confusion. They saw Ping Pong perched in the branches of the tree with the Vest. Ping Pong put his paw on it. "I win this Showdown…for Xiaolin!"

"Wh-what?" Chase said, lowering his claw. "You can't do that, you are on my side now!"

Omi smirked. "I believe it is you who said there are no rules anymore."

Chase could only stare as the environment turned back to normal. Omi was left holding the Vest of Kimiku, the Orb of Torpedo, the Golden Tiger Claws, and Ping Pong Cat. "Well done, Little Gecko." Omi said before the little cat licked his cheek and he giggled. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Ping Pong was human again.

"Um, Ping Pong, you can stop licking me now."

The child seemed to realize what he was doing. "Oh, whoops. Pardon me, Brother Omi." He said as Omi put him down. He felt his forehead and found that his dots had returned. They then noticed Chase starting to pick himself up. Furrowing his brow, Omi walked up to him and made eye contact. "Once again you have tried to bend a Xiaolin sprit to your will and once again you have failed, Chase Young." Omi looked at the sky to see the moon moving away from the sun. "And now the Xiaolin Eclipse is over."

"So it is." Chase said as he stood up. "I suppose I should congratulate you on getting the best of me yet again. But mark my words, Omi. I have many more tests and surprises planned for you, Ping Pong, and the rest of your friends. By no means have you seen the last of me." Chase then snapped his fingers and disappeared. Ping Pong stood shivering at the overlord's words until Omi put his hand on his shoulder.

A short ways off, Kimiko the cheetah had managed to pin Jack the rat to the ground with Raimundo and Clay watching. Jack covered his eyes and Kimiko licked her lips and raised a paw. In a flash of light, all four of them were restored, leaving Kimiko crouching on top of Jack with her hand raised. The three monks looked stunned for a moment before Jack got up and pushed Kimiko off of him. The girl shook her head.

"Was I…about to eat you?" Kimiko hesitantly asked the boy genius.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't." Jack responded before activating his Heli-Bot. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take an emergency bubble bath, and get myself some comfort food, preferably cheese-related." With that, Jack flew off, leaving the other three to scratch their heads before they noticed Omi and Ping Pong, whom they quickly ran over to.

"Are you all okay?" Omi asked.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Raimundo said.

"Thank you, Raimundo, but you should really be thanking Ping Pong. How did you manage to break free of Chase's control?" Omi asked his doppelganger.

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure, but I think it was because of this." Ping Pong held out the stick.

"Grand Master Dashi's chopstick? But how did-?" Omi started.

"Oh who cares?!" Kimiko interrupted as she picked up and hugged both Omi and Ping Pong. "It's just so great to be back together!"

"Indeed, my friends, and we will always stick together, no matter what." Omi added. The others heartily agreed.

Suddenly, the ground started rumbling. "Now what?!" Raimundo cried. Just then, the chopstick in Ping Pong's hand started glowing and floating into the air.

"The stick!" Ping Pong cried. Before their eyes, the stick grew and expanded exponentially. Then the Silver Longhorn on Omi's person and the Golden Bunny on Raimundo's floated up as well. The three came together and in a flash of light, transformed into a rod with a Golden Bunny head on top and a white cone tipped orange on the bottom. The new object floated into the air and drove itself into the rock.

"What in tarnation is happening?!" Clay exclaimed, looking to Dojo who just shrugged. The Igneous Rock then floated out of Kimiko's pocket and the Jitusara Amulet floated out of Omi's. The two magical objects floated over to the Bunny-topped staff. The two made contact with each other; a drop of water then dripped onto the Bunny, making it glow. The Rock and Amulet then came down and caused another flash of light; when it cleared, the Bunny had been transformed into two twisted pieces of metal.

"It looks like a divining rod." Ping Pong commented. Omi slowly walked up to the cliff the object was on and jumped up to its level. "Omi, be careful!" Kimiko warned. Omi grabbed hold of the stick and pulled, but it didn't budge. "A little help, please?" Omi asked. One by one, the other monks joined Omi on top. They all wrapped their hands around the staff.

"On three." Raimundo said. "One, two,"

"THREE!" All five Dragons said as they all pulled and yanked the object out of the ground. The mountain cracked even more, making the monks tumble back down, the staff clattering beside them. Before their eyes, from the ground in front of them emerged a temple, mostly consisted of white marble with several golden pyramid-like establishments on top.

Raimundo stood up. "What the heck…?" He said, slowly stepping forward. Then another rock rose up in front of them. This one cracked open, revealing a tall, red-eyed, ogre-like beast dressed in ancient women's clothes with shackles on its wrists.

Raimundo backed up and fell on his bottom next to his friends. He shakily pointed a finger at the creature. "That-that's the monster I told you about! The one that led us to the Golden Bunnies!"

Omi looked at him dumbfounded. "Really? When Salvador Cumo escaped our custody, I saw that monster right before I figured out where to find him!"

"I saw that thing too inside my dad's Virtual Tokyo!" Kimiko added.

"Ah saw it before ah called Thunderhoof fer the first time!" Clay said.

"I saw that creature just now, when I came to my senses and won the Showdown!" Ping Pong finished.

Raimundo marched up to it. "All right, you creepy…monster… _thing_! Who are you? _What_ are you? Why the heck are you following us, and just whose side are you on?!"

The monster just stared at him.

"Oh no, no silent treatment this time! Are you our friend or our enemy? SPILL!"

The monster held out its hand. The staff they just pulled out rose off the ground and flew into it.

"No!" Omi cried in protest. The monster held up the object and was engulfed by a flash of bright light.

When the monks could look again, the monster had disappeared. In its place was a beautiful woman with flowing brown hair dressed in the same clothes, except the shackles had turned into golden wristbands. The last of the light dimmed to show that the staff had also changed. The woman held a golden amulet with a brown string and five differently-colored patches on the front side. In the center was a green patch shaped like a circle with the other four parts arranged in a circular shape around it. The top-left portion was white, the top-right portion blue, the lower-right portion brown and the lower-left portion red. The woman put the amulet around her neck before speaking. "Xiaolin Warriors, I am indebted to you."

All five monks (and Dojo) started at the woman with comically-wide eyes. "Uuuummm…who are you?" Raimundo finally managed to stammer out.

The woman giggled and curtsied. "I am Princess Kaila of the Thousand Layer Mountain, which you have just unlocked, and freed me in the process."

"Y-you were that horrible green monster?" Omi asked.

"Yes, when this temple was cursed five hundred years ago, I was trapped in the form of that creature. I could only project myself through the spiritual plane, which I managed to do five times, to help you find the keys to break the spell."

"All those things were the keys?" Raimundo asked.

Princess Kaila nodded. "The first was Grand Master Dashi's chopstick, which rejuvenated young Ping Pong's Xiaolin spirit; such is the nature of the Wood Element. The Golden Bunnies are always happy, and their talisman provides a breath of fresh air, representing the Wind Element. The Silver Longhorn is the Earth Element because it was used to guard the land and its creatures. When the Jitusara Amulet, or the Eye of the Komodo Dragon, was combined with the Igneous Rock, the magical life-supplying rock of Fire, it produced a drop of dragon's tear, representing the Water Element. When these five Elements come together on the Thousand Layer Mountain in the presence of the Xiaolin Warriors, joined together by an unbreakable bond of loyalty and friendship, the spell is broken."

"Wow…" Everyone breathed.

Kaila giggled again. "And now, for your reward."

"Reward?" Omi asked.

"Indeed." Kaila gestured to the temple. "Young monks, your quest is now over. Welcome to your new temple home."

"Woah…for real?" Raimundo asked.

"For real, Raimundo. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."

"What? Where are you going?" Kimiko questioned.

"Much like your Master Fung, I have a journey to make."

Raimundo determinedly walked up. "Do you need a guide for protection?"

"That is very kind of you, Raimundo, but I must travel alone. Although…" Kaila fingered her new amulet. The brown portion lit up. A rainbow shot to the ground and Thunderhoof came traveling across it. Kaila walked up to him. "I believe Thunderhoof would make a worthy guide. If, of course, the Chosen Cowboy is alright me borrowing him?" She asked, turning toward Clay.

The cowboy smiled, put his hand to his heart, closed his eyes, and bowed. "Milady, it would be my honor."

Kaila giggled again. "I thought you might say that. Now take care of this temple, I am rather fond of it, and don't worry, for we will meet again one day."

The monks and Dojo waved good-bye as Kaila and Thunderhoof disappeared over the horizon. Raimundo looked back at the sparkling marble temple. "We did it, guys…we found our new temple."

"It's beautiful…" Kimiko observed.

"Oh, I wish Master Fung could see this." Dojo said.

"I can, Dojo, I can."

Everyone looked to once again see the spectral projection of Master Fung. The image smiled down at them.

"Welcome home, Dojo. Welcome home, young monks."

* * *

 **Well everyone, I hope you all liked this season finale and the first season in general! Season Two's gonna be even longer, though it might not start for a little bit, I'll have to see. Regardless, R &R, let me know if there's anything I need to improve on, and I'll see you all in Season Two of my adaption of Xiaolin Chronicles!**


	15. S2E1: Mi Temple, Mi Casa

**OMAC001-As always, thank you for your constant encouragement!**

 **The Devious Angel-Same to you! It's nice to know that you care enough to be regular reviewers!**

 **Ways-Thank you for your comments! I've got many things planned for this season, many BIG things. Hang on, 'cause it's gonna be quite a ride!**

* * *

It took the monks a while to get settled in to their new temple.

They began by scoping the place out, seeing that the temple was very house-like for being several centuries old. The bad news was the place had no electricity. The good news was it didn't matter. Kimiko took out her laptop and was shocked to find it charging even though it wasn't plugged in to anything. Dojo then explained that the Thousand Layer Mountain was special because it rested on a magical ley line, and thus the whole place was surrounded in a field of mystic energy that sufficed for electricity. The Japanese girl let out a sigh of relief upon learning that she wouldn't have to give up technology.

Looking around some more, they found rooms that could serve as a kitchen, bathrooms, and a meditation hall, as well as more than enough bedrooms that were made of white marble, quite roomy, and most importantly-

"BEDS!" Raimundo shouted, flopping onto the long rectangular cushion. "Actual, real, soft, fluffy, _beds_!" He tilted his head up to see the other monks looking at him oddly.

Rai chuckled and got up. "Sorry…I've _really_ missed these."

Kimiko giggled. "It's okay, Rai, I've missed doors myself. But we can crash later. Let's get everything set up first."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Raimundo said as he followed them out.

To make a long story short, the monks eventually got the Cosmic Burlap completely emptied. All the supplies they had managed to bring with them found its place somewhere.

The monks each chose a room as their own and organized their personal belongings in it. After changing into their Xiaolin robes, they counted up their money to see how much they had left. It was still quite a lot, enough to buy a refrigerator (Clay insisted that was the most important) and various other electronics that the magic ley line could power.

The monks then got a good look at the temple's outside. It was pretty lush with vegetation growing all around it, not to mention Clay noting the ground around the mountain was pretty fertile. The cowboy assured them that they wouldn't have any trouble growing crops. Omi walked up to a fairly large koi pond. It was empty, but that quickly changed. Omi held out the ball of ice containing the frozen Tiger Shrimp in it. "Water." Omi said. The ice instantly melted, dropping the Tiger Shrimp into the pond. It didn't seem hurt by its cryogenic nap and just swam around like nothing had happened.

Now came the REALLY hard part…cleaning the temple. It had been buried in the dirt for five centuries, and it showed on the outside. After the monks had moved in their belongings, they grabbed their Shoku weapons and got to work.

"Orb of Torpedo, Shoku Neptune, Water!" Omi shouted. His Orb grew into a staff with a miniature rocket on top. Omi shot a torrent of water at the temple, completely washing it down.

"Sword of Lucida, Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo said, making his sword elongate to its fullest form. A tornado shot from it, wiping away most of the dirt and drying off the temple.

"Nice, Rai!" Kimiko said. "Now to make it sparkle! Kanabi Star, Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko shot fire from her eight-branched Star, burning up the remaining muck and making the marble structure and gold pyramids shine good as new.

The monks looked proud of their work. They then decided to scope out the interior one last time to see if they missed anything. As the monks walked through, the Shoku Warriors chatting happily about how they cleaned the temple so fast, Ping Pong quietly lagged behind. Dojo noticed this and slithered by his side. "Hey, kid. You okay?"

"I am fine, Dojo. It is just…Did you see their amazing Shoku skills?"

"Did I? I haven't seen that kind of mastery in a long time, especially at their age!" Dojo laughed a little before noticing Ping Pong wasn't joining him.

"Yes, they are all so impressive, but look at me." Ping Pong gestured to the gold sashes adorned by his friends, then to the black sash around his own waist. "I have not even made it to the next level in my training yet."

"Apprentice rank." Dojo said, nodding. "Don't sweat it, kiddo! You've come a long way since this whole thing began too, you know. I'm sure you'll get the promotion soon. Too bad Master Fung isn't done with his long walk yet, he'd be able to tell us for sure…" Dojo began sulking, leaving Ping Pong to his own.

* * *

Meanwhile, many miles away, Jack Spicer was hard at work in the warehouse he was 'borrowing'. Cyclops was holding up the RV while Jack tinkered on it, goggles over his face and his tongue sticking out. Katnappe was sitting in a chair reading a cat magazine with Tubbimura eating a pudding cup next to her.

"Okay, I think I got it this time." Jack said as he gave one last turn with his wrench.

"That's what you said the last three times you tried to fix that engine." Katnappe said in a disinterested tone and without looking up from her magazine.

"Well I'll have you know, _Ashley_ ," Jack said, grinning when the criminal hissed in annoyance. "There has not been a machine built that Jack Spicer, evil boy genius and Prince of Darkness, cannot master." Jack suddenly let out a girly scream as the engine came clattering down next to him. "…though this one's putting up one heck of a fight." He chuckled nervously.

"Even masters of evil need proper equipment, and ways to afford it." Tubbimura said in-between bites.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Jack sighed, wheeling himself out from under the RV. Cyclops dropped it down and made them all fly up an inch into the air from the impact; none of them even flinched. "I used up most of the cash I weaseled from PandaBubba to rebuild my Jack-Bots."

"Yeah, 'cause a few metal punching bags for your enemies are much more important than a working means of transport." Katnappe cracked from her seat.

Jack sent a glare in her direction even though she wasn't looking at him. His eyes quickly widened. "Hey, that's mine!" He protested to Tubbimura.

"Trade, remember? At least until you can pay me properly again." The fat ninja reminded him as he kept eating. Jack growled. "I need to make a quick buck so I can give this useless piece of scrap the mother of all evil upgrades! But how…" Jack suddenly clutched his stomach. "Ooh…those hors d'oeuvres F-Bot whipped up may have been delicious, but they don't sit too well." Jack grunted. "If you need me, I'll be in my office." Jack said as he ran into his high-tech outhouse.

Tubbimura blinked at it before turning to face Katnappe. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

Katnappe didn't say a word and just turned the page.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The monks were still looking around, having made it all the way to the back of the temple.

"Hey guys, has anyone been up there?" Raimundo asked, pointing to a tall staircase that lead up.

"Looks like the back door." Clay said, seeing the square of sunlight at the top.

"Come on!" Raimundo said with the others following. The staircase did indeed lead outside, to the top of an upward slant of rock behind the temple. Once everyone was out, they marveled at the view. They could see the surface of the whole temple as well as miles beyond it.

"This is amazing!" Kimiko said, taking a picture of the dazzling view with her phone.

"My friends, look!" Ping Pong interrupted, pointing at something several yards away.

It was a large tree. Closer inspection revealed it to be a peach tree. Even closer inspection revealed the peaches to be gold in color. One of them dropped at Clay's feet. The cowboy picked it up. "Sweet Georgia…" he said as he raised it to his mouth to take a bite. Suddenly, the ground began rumbling. The tree in front of them made a groaning noise. Four holes appeared in the bark of the tree, making two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The tree shook itself. "Who woke me up?" It said in a deep voice with an Austrian accent.

While the Xiaolin stood there gawking, it noticed the peach in Clay's arms and growled. "PEACH THEIF!" It shouted. Roots burst from the ground in front of it. They wrapped around Clay's legs and hoisted him into the air upside-down. "You are not worthy of eating my golden peaches!"

Clay noticed he was still holding the fruit. "Oh, this yers? Sorry, partner, I didn't know!" Clay said, dropping the peach. "Now, uh, think ya could let me go now?"

"No! You are trespassers! And trespassers must be punished!" The tree shouted, shaking him up and down.

"Hey, you oversized toothpick!" The tree looked to see the full-sized Dojo rushing at him. "No one messes with _my_ kids at _my_ new temple!" Dojo breathed fire at the roots holding Clay, burning them off and dropping him to the ground. Clay quickly ran back into the temple where his friends already were. They looked up; there was a large grate in the ceiling, allowing them to see what was going on.

The tree wrapped it roots around Dojo. "Meddlesome dragon, you and these humans do not belong here! I am the guardian of this temple!" It said.

Dojo struggled against the bonds. "You've taken too long a dirt nap! I'm the new guardian, and I'm not about to be replaced by a grumpy old tree! Now you see me…" Dojo shrank and slipped out of the roots. "Now you don't!" Dojo slipped through the grate and was caught by Clay. The tree wasn't done yet, though, as he stretched his roots through the holes toward the monks. They tried to fight them off, but they were all quickly ensnared. They were lifted a few feet off the ground. The tree's face suddenly appeared on the root holding Clay, who was furthest to the right. The face then moved to the root on the left, which was Kimiko, then to Raimundo, Ping Pong, Omi, and finally Dojo.

"You are not welcome here. You must leave at once, all of you." The tree said as its face moved from root to root. Ping Pong struggled for a little more before making the three dots on his head light up. Focusing on his limited power over wood, he slipped out of the bonds and balanced on the root. The face went back to him and looked surprised at the little monk's escape.

"Most respected temple guardian, perhaps we have gotten on the wrong foot." Ping Pong politely said, bowing. "My name is Boris Antonio Rolf Jeanne Pierre Gaulle LeGrand IV, but you can call me 'Ping Pong', whichever is easier."

"Ping…Pong…" The tree repeated, seeming to calm down a little. Ping Pong took this as a good sign. "Exactly. What is your name?"

"My…name?" The three hesitated. "I…don't know. I have forgotten everything about my old life." He said, looking down.

"I am most sorry to hear that." Ping pong said sympathetically. "I am also sorry for unexpectedly entering your temple like that, but Princess Kaila personally asked us to take care of this temple for her."

The tree perked up. "Princess Kaila? She is here?"

"Um…no. She said she had to go on a journey. She has left." Ping Pong continued.

"Oh no…" The tree sadly said as it slowly lowered the monks to the ground. "The Princess is all alone. I was supposed to watch over her…keep her safe…"

" _Exactly how can he do that if he can't move?_ " Raimundo whispered in Kimiko's ear, making her stifle a laugh.

"Aw, cheer up, partner. The Princess ain't totally alone. Thunderhoof's with her as her guide." Clay said, trying to life the tree's spirits. It seemed to work. "Thunderhoof, eh…I guess that's not so bad." The tree's face-root shook itself. "Even so, I am meant to protect this temple from intruders-"

Before the tree could continue, thunder rumbled overhead.

"What the-there wasn't a cloud in the sky a minute ago!" Raimundo said, confused.

Suddenly, a burst of green lightning shot from the clouds and struck the tree. The face disappeared from the roots as they quickly pulled themselves back up through the grate.

"Monsieur temple guardian!" Ping Pong shouted and quickly ran up the steps leading back outside.

"Ping Pong, wait!" Kimiko exclaimed as the others followed him. They made it back up top to see the tree struggling against something. Its face twisted, making the hole for a nose close up, making a human nose-like bump. Sharp splinters for teeth appeared in its mouth. Finally, glowing slits appeared in its eyeholes. "Greetings, young ones." It said in a very different, yet alarmingly familiar, voice.

"Chase Young!" They all said at the same time.

"I told you that you hadn't seen the last of me!" The possessed tree said.

"But how…" Omi began only for the Chase-tree to shift, turning back into the old face. "Who are you…get out of me!" Chase took control again. "I don't think so, Barkey!" The old tree came back for a second. "Barkey? My name is Barkey?"

Dojo's eyes widened. "B-B-B- _Barkey_?! As in…"

"Barky LeBois, the Xiaolin Dragon of Wood and founder of the Lotus Locust Clan!" Ping Pong finished.

"I thought something about that grumpy demeanor seemed familiar…" the dragon said.

"Wai, wait…he turned himself into a _tree_?" Raimundo questioned.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised." Dojo said. "After all, the Element of Wood isn't just about a material, it's about _life_ , preservation, and regeneration."

Chase seemed to use some Heylin magic on Barkey's body. Green electricity crackled over him, turning the golden peaches hard and deformed. Chase started pelting the monks with them, forcing them all back inside the temple.

"Now that that's settled…" Chase's roots stretched into the air. Black particles spread from them over the temple. "Time for another test. Let's see if you can save Barkey, while at the same time overcoming your worst fears!"

"Our worst fears? What do you think he means by-" Omi suddenly found himself to be alone in the now dark temple. "Raimundo? Ping Pong? Dojo?" Omi stumbled around looking when his back bumped into a large, hairy object. He felt it as his adrenalin jacked up. He slowly looked upward to see a giant brown squirrel looking down at him, some froth from its mouth dripping onto Omi's face. Omi shouted in fear before running away, the oversized rodent following.

"Omi, Kimiko? Where'd ya'll run off to?" Clay looked around before he heard a knock at a nearby door. Confused, he opened it only to see an elderly woman in a purple gown with gray hair in a bun standing there. "There's my little cowpoke…" She drawled as she came closer.

"Granny Lily?!" Clay exclaimed as he backed up.

"Lemme see those cheeks…" Lily said as she came closer.

"No! Not again!" Clay shouted as he ran off to avoid affectionate wrath.

Kimiko was wandering through her own part of the temple when a giant doll with a half-melted face dropped down in front of her.

"Mochika? How-"

"Play with me, Kimiko!" It said, slowly toddling towards the female monk.

"I don't think so!" Kimiko said, making a sharp turn. She was so focused on escaping that she didn't notice Raimundo nearby, quickly making his way through the hallways as a giant purple jellyfish swung on the rafters above him.

Ping Pong was using his enhanced speed to flee from something. He ran into the kitchen and slammed the door behind him. He kept pushing against it until a sharp beak punched through the door. Ping Pong fearfully backed up as the door was reduced to splinters. A giant turkey walked into the room. It let out a monstrous gobble-gobble as Ping Pong was backed into the corner.

* * *

People from all over had formed a line leading into Jack Spicer's mansion. They would come in with stomach issues, but would leave relieved.

"That's right, come on in, folks! Experience happiness like you never have before!" Jack said through a megaphone. "Everyone will have their satisfaction, and your intestines will thank you for it!"

Katnappe and Tubbimura were behind him making sure the line was orderly and that no accidental messes were made once someone finally had their turn.

Wuya then flew in and her jaw dropped. "What in the name of the Great Wall is going on here!" She exclaimed.

Jack turned toward her with a smile. "Money's goin' on, baby! Who knew that this many people would come just to get a taste of F-Bot's cooking? How's it goin' over there?" he called out.

"As you say, easy-peasy." The robot said as he whipped more hors d'oeuvres to sell the paying customers. Around the robot were signs proclaiming "As Seen On TV".

Jack snickered. "And the best part, they actually expect us to charge more for smaller dishes! I love it!"

"Yeah, wonderful." Katnappe groaned as she pushed an exceptionally eager woman back into the line. "Was this thing really on TV?"

Jack shrugged. "PandaBubba made him known throughout Hong Kong. Same thing, right?"

"Technically speaking, this would count as false advertising." Tubbimura pointed out.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, just saying."

"Hm." Jack then noticed a young boy trip, sending his miniature Panda Burger slider crashing all over the floor. Jack cringed.

"Oh gross! I just had that floor cleaned! Janitor-Bot!" Jack clapped his hands. An original Jack-Bot wearing rubber gloves and a protective surgical cloth over where its mouth would be floated over and carefully swept away the mess.

Jack walked over to the kid and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry kid, we'll getcha another one for the same price as the first!"

The boy didn't respond; his dusty brown hair fell over one eye, but his other was staring intently at Jack's hand on his shoulder. Finally, he shook his head. "U-um, Jack Spicer, sir, I just wanted to say I'm a huge-"

"Yeah yeah, now get back in line." Jack interrupted, roughly shoving the boy back into the line. He looked at Jack one more time before pulling his sky-blue hoodie over his head. He brought out a crudely-drawn picture of Jack before putting it and his hands in the pockets.

Katnappe walked up to Jack holding a large brown sack with a large green dollar sign on it. "Good news, Jackie, we actually made quite a haul here."

"Excellent!" Jack swiped the bag out of her paw much to her annoyance. "I have _so_ many things in mind…"

"Like my paycheck?" Katnappe quipped, only to be ignored as Jack went skipping off. She sighed and went back to keeping order.

* * *

Omi quickly found himself at a dead-end. He turned to see the giant squirrel approaching him. Omi gulped and shook his head. "I defeated you last time, you horrible creature! You think I will not do so again?" The squirrel came closer and chittered.

"Apparently that is a yes!" Omi jumped at its head. "Cobra Squeezing Cat! Eagle Snatching Pufferfish! Pig Sucking Jell-O!"

Omi struck the squirrel again and again, eventually grabbing it by its tail. "Fury of the Ferret!" Omi swung the squirrel into the wall where it was still.

"Yes! I am the boy!" Omi said as he did a little victory dance.

Which everyone knows you never do unless you want it to bite you in the rear.

The monster squirrel melted into black particles, leaving Omi confused. They then remolded into several normal-sized squirrels, which had glowing red eyes and were standing on their hind legs, wearing ninja outfits and holding weapons, including nunchakus, Sais, and staffs.

One of them stepped up, twirling a flail in its paw. "How do you like your chances now, boy?" It asked.

Omi backed up before running away again, the evil ninja squirrels following and chittering battle cries.

Clay turned and ducked under Granny Lily's embrace.

"Come on, Clay, didn't yer daddy tell ya t' respect yer elders?"

"O' course he did." Clay's eyes narrowed. "But even a gentleman knows when enough is enough!"

Clay crouched under another one of Lily's grabs, then quickly got up in front of her. "Giraffe Kissin' Tigers!" Clay punched Lily in the chest, making her fall on her back.

Clay took off his hat and wiped his brow. "Phew! Ain't nothin' scarier than mah Granny Lily…"

Suddenly, the woman turned into black particles and formed into another elderly woman, this one dressed in green with poofy green hair in a hair net and crooked yellow teeth. "Oh Clay, c'mere, sugah plum…"

"Except Granny Gums!" Clay ran off again with the woman cackling as she chased after him.

Kimiko threw fireballs at her doll, melting her face even more and making her look even scarier to Kimiko, but she didn't stop. Finally, the Dragon leapt into the air. "Fox Stomping Grapes!" Kimiko delivered a mid-air kick to Mochika, making her fall on her back and break into pieces. Kimiko had just scraped the melted plastic off her shoe when she heard a battle cry. She turned in shock to see that the doll pieces had turned into a Japanese girl about her age wearing a _Sailor Moon_ -esque outfit and brandishing a katana.

Panic filled Kimiko all over again. "Sago? What are you-"

The girl growled and came closer.

Kimiko backed away. "I told you, I wasn't trying to steal your boyfriend. He only came to me because he needed help on his math homework! You know I had the best grade in the class!"

"No talk!" The girl spat in a thick Japanese accent. "Now you pay for talking to boyfriend! Feel wrath of samurai!" Sago chased after Kimiko with her katana.

Raimundo ran through the hallways as the giant jellyfish monster followed him. Raimundo skidded to a stomp and looked at it. "That's it, jellybag! You're comin' down here right now! Wind!" Raimundo sent a strong breeze at the monster, managing to knock it down from the rafters. It got up and swung at Rai with its tentacles. The Brazilian boy dodged. "Goose Jumping Slope!" Raimundo swung outward with his leg. The jellyfish was knocked back and lay still. Wiping his hands, Raimundo turned and walked away, not noticing the sea creature vanish.

"Now how do I get out of this freak show?" Raimundo asked himself before finding himself in another hallway. He heard a loud stomping sound behind him. Raimundo turned. "If you're back for Round Two, you brainless blob, then I'd be all too happy to-"

"Who are you calling brainless, Bobo?!" A masculine voice responded.

Raimundo's eyes widened. "No…"

A giant man walked forward, dressed in the colorful clothes of a circus ringmaster. "And why aren't you in uniform?!"

Raimundo looked down to see that he was suddenly dressed like a clown, complete with white makeup on his face and a red rubber nose.

"No!" Raimundo shouted, taking off the nose and throwing it down. "This is over! I'm never going back there!"

The giant ringmaster leaned over him. "What are you blabbering about, you bobo Bobo! Now pipe down and get to work! The elephant's made another mess!"

Raimundo was suddenly holding a pooper scooper. He quickly threw it down and ran away, yelling protests with the ringmaster lumbering after him.

Ping Pong was scrambling up on countertops and through the cabinets as he tried to evade the killer turkey. The bird just kept gobble-gobble-ing as it tried to peck his flesh. Ping Pong crawled up as high as he could when-

"Boris Antonio Rolf Jeanne Pierre Gaulle LeGrande IV! You come down here this instant!"

Ping Pong looked to see that the turkey had disappeared and was replaced with an orange-haired woman in a camo uniform. Ping Pong gasped. "Capitaine Déloyale!"

"Front and center, you little four-eyed mosquito!" Ping Pong instantly came down and stood at attention. To his horror, the woman produced a giant flyswatter from behind her back.

"How do expect to amount to anything with such lousy record times!" She shouted, starting to smack at him. "And must you insist on listening to that infuriating polka music?!"

"I will get better time! And no more polka music, _Je vous promets_!" Ping Pong pleaded as he avoided the flyswatter, but it was no use; after all, Capitaine Déloyale was the strictest coach in the Lotus Locust Clan.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Jack announced, addressing Wuya, Katnappe, Tubbimura, and Cyclops. They were all standing outside the warehouse. "Allow me to introduce…" He took out a small remote and pressed a button. A vehicle rolled up to him. "My new and improved, evil genius RV!" Jack laughed evilly as the others looked over the vehicle.

"It looks exactly the same." Katnappe bluntly said.

Jack held out a finger. "That may be, but if you all, or at least three of you, step inside…" Jack disappeared inside his RV. Katnappe and Tubbimura looked to each other before shrugging and following him. Wuya groaned before doing the same. Cyclops just knelt down and peered in. Jack sat down in the driver's seat and turned the ignition key. The henchmen were shocked to hear the engine roar to life. It sped through the streets; Cyclops babbled protests in gibberish as he jogged after it.

In no time Jack had entered the country. His RV sped through the empty plain. Jack pressed a button. The vehicle's headlights glowed red before firing lasers, making some smoking holes in the grass around the road.

"As you can see I've upgraded this baby with laser headlights," Jack pressed another button and Katnappe and Tubbimura jumped when they heard a large boom. They turned around to see a large smoking hole through the back window.

"Rocket launchers," Jack continued. "And best of all…"

A compartment opened in front of Tubbimura and a small tray came out holding a few paper cups with straws in them. The hole the tray came out of was lit up.

"Cup holders that retract into mini fridges in the walls!" Jack finished.

"Ingenious, Jack." Tubbimura said happily as he took one of the cups and took a sip. "Mmm, cool and refreshing." He said.

Katnappe sat there with her arms folded, not willing to admit that the new design _was_ pretty impressive. "Yeah yeah, cool new features, blah blah blah, how's about we go try it on some moving targets!"

"Right. To the monks!" Jack cried, pointing his finger in the air before slowly lowering it. He turned to them. "Either of you know where they are?"

The two shrugged.

Wuya, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. "I sensed a huge flux of mystical power not too long ago. Perhaps the monks have finally found a new temple."

"Awesome! To the monks!" Jack shouted and pointed again before lowering his finger again. He turned to Wuya with a sheepish smile. Wuya sighed and pointed the way.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, Dojo had just been slithering around on his own the whole time. He tried to keep a brave face, but the whole temple suddenly gave off a weird, evil vibe. Suddenly, his slithering turned to sloshing. He found himself in some sort of hot tub. At first he thought it was an opportunity to relieve stress, but then he noticed all the giant decapitated dragon tails floating around him. His eyes widened. This wasn't a hot tub; he was sitting in a giant bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup!

Suddenly, a giant pink reptilian tongue shot down from the ceiling. Dojo just barely ducked to the side as it snagged one of the dragon tails and dragged it up into the darkness. Dojo desperately tried to get out, but he didn't seem to be able to move. The long tongue kept nabbing tails until the only one left was the one still attached.

"So this is how it ends…" Dojo sniffed. "Slurped up like the last strand of spaghetti…MASTER FUUUNG!" Dojo cried as the tongue came down at him.

Suddenly, the tongue struck something and broke apart into black particles. Dojo's eyes widened when he saw what the object was.

"I hear you, my friend."

"MASTER FUNG!" Dojo exclaimed. "Boy, am I glad to see you! Well, this spectral image you keep sending, anyway."

Fung waved his hand and the giant bowl vanished, leaving Dojo on the ground. "Be brave, Dojo. You are the temple guardian after all." Fung calmly said.

Dojo slumped over. "No I'm not. The guardian position for this temple is already filled by Barkey." Dojo then put a claw to his chin. "Then again, he is a tree, so he can't move, and Chase is currently inhabiting his body…"

"Which is why you must be the one to step up." Fung instructed.

"But I lost the kids! They're off who-knows-where in this crazy temple! How am I supposed to find them?"

Fung held up a finger. "You will find a way. That is why you are the guardian. I must go now, good luck, my friend."

"Bye, Puppy Eyes." Dojo waved as Master Fung's image disappeared. He took a deep breath and stood up straight. "Master Fung's right! Even if I'm not the official guardian of this temple, I'm still the guardian of the kids!" Dojo grew to his full size. "Time to start guarding!" He took off through the temple.

Dojo found Omi first, desperately trying to hold his own against all the ninja squirrels. Dojo grabbed him in his claws and threw him on his back, leaving the rodents behind to chitter in rage.

Sago had backed Kimiko against the wall, the former's blade against the latter's throat, when Dojo came flying in. Kimiko saw them, smiled, and leapt on, leaving her grudge-holding classmate in the dust. Then then rescued Clay from his cheek-pinching grandmother, Ping Pong from his strict coach, and finally Raimundo from having to clean a pile of elephant droppings that was bigger than he was.

"Is that everyone?" Dojo asked as they raced through the temple.

"Yes." Omi said, relieved. "Thank you, Dojo."

The giant dragon shrugged. "Hey, just doing my job. Now let's finish it!" Dojo raced up the stairway to the outside. As he flew upwards, the monks jumped off and landed in front of the possessed tree, Dojo shrinking down and landing on Clay's hat moments after.

"Impressive, young ones." Chase said, raising a wooden eyebrow. "But it's not over yet."

"No it isn't." Omi agreed. "Release Barkey LeBois at once!"

Chase seemed to ponder it for a second. "No, don't think so."

"Hey, uh, Dojo. I don' suppose there's anythin' in the Showdown rulebook 'bout somethin' like this, is there?" Clay asked the reptile on his shoulder.

Dojo opened the book. "Clay, please. I've read this thing at least a hundred times. I'm pretty sure I would have seen-" Dojo's eyes were suddenly drawn to the pages. "Hey, that's new." The dragon slipped on a small pair of reading glasses. "According to this, it's called a Shoku Showdown. This time you ain't playin' for Wu, but for the free will of a Xiaolin Warrior of Shoku rank or higher."

"But we did that for Omi, and he wasn't a Shoku Warrior yet." Raimundo said, confused.

Dojo wagged a finger. "Ah, but then you had to wager your own freedom. According to this, Shoku and up play free!"

"But what about me?" Ping Pong meekly asked. "I am not a Shoku Warrior yet. Heck, I am not even a Xiaolin Apprentice yet." He reminded them, pointing to his black sash.

"Uh…" Dojo scanned the page. "It says here that lower ranks can play, but they need to wager a Wu."

"Here Ping Pong, use my Orb of Torpedo." Omi said, handing him his Shoku Weapon. As Ping Pong took it, it gave off a light-blue glow. It had once again accepted Omi's blessing to let Ping Pong use his weapon's power.

"But Brother Omi, you need your Orb of Torpedo." The smallest monk protested.

Omi smiled and shook his head. "As someone once told me, true power comes from within."

Chase forced himself to stop the small smile that was coming to his face. "Are you finished?"

"You sure this is okay with you? Us fighting for Barkey's freedom without wagering our own?" Raimundo asked with an eyebrow raised.

Chase shrugged, an odd sight for a tree. "It doesn't matter. Like I said this is only a test."

"This is one doozy of a test." Raimundo said, shuddering at the memory of the mammoth doo-doo he almost had to clean.

"One that we can't afford to fail." Kimiko finished, narrowing her eyes. "Let's do this."

"Let's go, SHOKU SHOWDOWN!" All six combatants shouted. Chase's eyes shone yellow as the environment began shifting. Branches started growing all around; not just them, but all over the temple as well. In seconds, a large intricate jungle gym-like dome had grown high over the temple. The Xiaolin Warriors found themselves on a branch in the center. They looked around; higher up they could see Barkey's main trunk. Green electricity appeared around them and collected not too far away, forming Chase in his dragon form.

"GONG YI TAN PAI!" The Xiaolin leapt at Chase. He just blocked their blows and punched them off the branch. Even though they would rebound off of other branches and come back, Chase would just handle them like it was no trouble.

"Wind!" Rai shouted, sending a blast at Chase, but the reptile just held his ground. He held out a claw and green electricity shot from it, almost striking Rai before he dodged out of the way. While Chase was distracted, Clay leapt at him. "Earth!" Clay punched Chase in the chest, sending him flying away. As he passed another branch, he wrapped his tail around it, the spikes digging into the wood and circling him around until he was on top of the branch. He thrust his claws into the air and black particles went shooting out in all directions.

"Let's liven things up a bit, shall we?" Chase asked. Omi heard chittering behind him. He slowly turned to see the giant squirrel on a branch behind him as well as several normal-sized ninja squirrels next to it. Kimiko heard a cry of "hugs" behind her, which was caused by Mochika with the growling Sago on her shoulder. Clay ducked forward as Grannies Lily and Gums almost sandwiched him. Ping Pong inched closer to Omi as the giant turkey and Capitaine Déloyale loomed over him. Raimundo clenched his fists as he faced down the jellyfish and the ringmaster side-by-side.

"Keep it together guys," he announced. "They may be scary, but we've gotta win this thing!"

The others all mumbled their agreement as the ten nightmares closed in.

Outside, Jack Spicer drove his upgraded RV across the rocky terrain; somewhere along the line he had detached the wheels and replaced them with massive tires that raised the vehicle several yards into the air. He parked on the edge of a gorge separating them from the temple. The Heylin could see the massive wooden dome formed around the temple.

"Oh yeah! Monster truck wheels, baby! Who's your evildoer?" He chanted, pointing to himself.

"How'd we get here so fast?" Katnappe questioned.

"And what's going on over there?" Tubbimura asked, pointing to the temple. Jack narrowed his eyes and placed the flat of his hand above them. "Looks like a Showdown. It's kinda weird seeing it from the outside."

"This is not a normal Showdown…" Wuya noted. "There is something peculiar about this." She turned to Jack. "Get over there and investigate!"

Jack looked at the hole in front of them and gulped. "You know, I would…but I haven't given this thing's weapons a real test drive yet." With a nervous smile, Jack clicked away on his control console. He activated the rocket launcher and sent several of the missiles flying over to his enemies' new abode.

The standoff between the monks and their fears was interrupted when the rockets fell through the branches and exploded, sending everyone tumbling back.

"What in the name o' Granny Gums' dentures was that?!" Clay exclaimed.

"Hey!" The subject of said exclamation put her hands on her hips.

Raimundo noticed that his opponents were recoiling from the bombardment. He took advantage of the momentary confusion and conjured up a tornado. He cast it toward his nightmares. The jellyfish was sucked up and twirled around. The tornado moved over a branch and dissipated, leaving the jellyfish tied in a knot around it. The ringmaster growled before brandishing a whip and charging at Rai.

The squirrels ran around in blind panic. The big one leapt off the branch as another rocket came down. The normal-sized ninja squirrels weren't as lucky as the rocket landed in the middle of them and exploded, launching them off the branch in several directions into the abyss below. The final squirrel landed in front of Omi and bared its buck teeth.

"Ha! Not so scary now that you are alone, are you?" Omi taunted, feeling a bit better now. The squirrel screeched, sending foam everywhere. "Okay, you are still a little scary." Omi relented as he leapt at the animal.

Kimiko flipped onto an upper branch above Mochika and Sago. The other Japanese girl would have none of that and jumped up with her katana bared. She soared above Kimiko ready to cleave her apart, but the latter was prepared this time.

"Judolette Flip, Fire!" Kimiko said, flipping and meeting Sago in the air. Her flaming foot met Sago's chest and the girl went flying. Mochika watched her go and turned back to Kimiko. "That wasn't very nice." She said angrily.

Kimiko looked above her before looking back at the giant doll and smirking. "No, but this is: please look out above you."

"Huh?" Mochika looked up and saw too late that she was under another rocket. The object soared into her perpetually open mouth and down her throat. The oversized plaything stood there for a moment before exploding, sending her plastic limbs flying in all directions. Kimiko shrugged. "Hey, I warned her."

A short ways off, Clay was backing away from his two grandmothers on another branch.

"Come on, Clay-Way, don't be selfish." Lily said.

"Yeah, don't go hurtin' our feelins'!" Gums agreed.

"I love both o' ya'll, ya know I do, but enough is enough." Clay said. Naturally, the nightmares didn't listen. "C'mon, Clay, lend us yer cheek!" Lily insisted.

Clay looked to the side and smiled. "How's about I lend ya a hand instead?"

The two women barely had time to voice their confusion before one of Mochika's giant plastic arms flew in and hit them, sending both of them plummeting to the bottom wailing all the way. Clay just smiled and tipped his hat.

Ping Pong kept jumping from branch to branch, but the turkey and Capitain Déloyale kept following. Ping Pong looked up and jumped out of the way just as the turkey made another attempt to peck at him. A rocket came down on the unsuspecting bird and exploded. When the smoke cleared, a nice roast turkey sat on the branch before tumbling down the side.

"You'll have to do better than that to escape me, you mosquito!" Déloyale declared as she swung with her flyswatter. Ping Pong brought out the one Wu in the whole Showdown. "Orb of Torpedo!" A torrent of water shot out and knocked the flyswatter out of Déloyale's hands. She watched it fall down in shock before a small foot swept-kicked her off the branch.

"By the way, polka is la bombe!" Ping Pong called down after her. He looked up; his fight had brought him close to where Barkey's main body was positioned. He leapt over to it. "Monsieur LeBois, are you all right?" Ping Pong asked.

Barkey groaned. Even though his face still looked like Chase's, he was back in control. "I've…been better. Boris…I need a peach."

"I beg your pardon?" The little monk asked, confused.

"I need…a golden peach." Barkey said again and gestured. Ping Pong followed his gaze to see a small light in the distance: a single golden peach.

Ping Pong turned back to Barkey and nodded. "I will be right back!" He started after it. Chase watched him. "No you don't!" He said. He leapt up towards him only to be kicked by Raimundo. He along with Omi had finished off their remaining fears and now all four Shoku Warriors circled him. They all leapt at him only for Chase to suddenly disappear in a flash of green, causing the monks to bump each other's heads. They wearily got up and looked back at Chase. He shot green electricity from his body into the branches surrounding him. Smaller branches sprouted from the one they were on and bent to Chase's will. The Dragons weren't quick enough as they were all ensnared by the branches. Chase then scampered off.

"Ngh! This is tighter than a boa constrictor at a huggin' contest!" Clay grunted as he struggled to no avail.

Omi looked at where Chase was going: after Ping Pong. His Showdown outfit's hood prevented him from showing how concerned he was.

Ping Pong had just about reached the peach. He could see the single shining fruit hanging from a branch. Suddenly, a purple tentacle wrapped around it and snapped it off the branch. Raimundo's jellyfish monster had gotten itself untangled and now loomed over Ping Pong.

"Ha! I am not afraid of you!" The little monk declared. He then turned around to see Chase catching up to him. "But I am afraid of that." He gulped. The jellyfish let out a gurgle of a roar and swung at Ping Pong with its tentacles. The small boy dodged them all before grabbing one. He used the monster's own strength against it and swung it around, sending it flying into Chase. The purple blur flew down onto another branch and instinctively wrapped its tentacles around it, unknowingly keeping Chase pinned. Ping Pong held out his hand and caught the peach in it. He quickly started going back towards Barkey.

The jellyfish started wiggling before claws appeared from under its body and grabbed it. "Get off me, you anatomically incorrect Cnidarian!" Chase shouted as he threw it down into the abyss. He noticed that Ping Pong had quite a head start on him. He snarled before starting after him.

Ping Pong made it back to Barkey with the peach in hand.

"Excellent, young Boris! Give it to me!" Barkey said enthusiastically. Ping Pong noticed a knot in Barkey's skin where a belly button might have been. The tree saw the angry reptile getting closer, as well as three rockets coming down right towards them.

"Hurry!" He shouted. Ping Pong looked at the peach before shoving it into the knot; it fit perfectly. The peach provided a flashing light that almost blinded Ping Pong. Barkey's face slowly turned back into his own. A wave of golden light formed over the dome and stretched down to encompass the whole temple. The three rockets that had been approaching were suddenly caught in the new field of energy; they were held in mid-air for a moment before being launched back the way they came.

Another wave of light shot outward from Barkey himself, passing harmlessly over Ping Pong but knocking Chase back onto another branch. He slowly got up to see his reptilian form becoming pure energy, green at first but soon becoming blue. He looked at Ping Pong and the boy could have sworn he saw Chase's scaly lips form a small smile.

"Well played, young Dragon of Wood." Chase said before his body faded from sight.

Ping Pong looked back at Barkey who was smiling at him. "Well done, kiddo."

Ping Pong smiled under his hood and bowed. "It was my pleasure, Warrior Barkey." As this small exchange happened, the branches forming the dome started to recede. The Shoku Warriors found themselves freed from their bonds as the Showdown ended.

A ways off, the villains watched the temple turn back to normal.

"Well, whatever it was is over now; thanks for nothing, _Jack_." Wuya sneered.

"Hey, I…fired those weapons! I'm sure they had a major affect somewhere!" Jack defiantly said as eh crossed his arms.

Katnappe, who had been filing her nails out of boredom, suddenly jumped to attention. "Um, you mean like they're about to have on _us_?"

"Huh?" Jack and Wuya looked out the windshield to see the last three rockets heading back towards them. Jack's eyes slowly inflated like balloons before he let out another girly scream and drove the RV away just as the rockets landed where it had just been. The RV drove past Cyclops, who had finally caught up and was slowly walking while panting. When he saw them driving in the opposite direction, he rolled his eye and gave a prolonged groan before slowly trudging the other way.

* * *

The Xiaolin monks appeared in front of Barkey with everything back to normal. Raimundo looked around. "No sign of Chase anywhere. Guess he split already. What a sore loser."

"Yeah, I guess." Kimiko said while scratching her head.

"Is something wrong Barkey?" Ping Pong asked. The tree had his cheeks puffed up. He made some gargling sounds and suddenly spat out two objects, which tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop. Ping Pong walked over to one and picked it up; it looked like a turquoise rabbit.

"The Denshi Bunny!" Omi said, taking it out of Ping Pong's hand. "This Shen Gong Wu allows you to transform into energy! This must be how Chase was able to possess Barkey's body!"

"And _this_ is how he did that thing with our fears!" Raimundo said, showing them the other object: a small gray statue of a hawk with gleaming red eyes and perched on a pedestal. "The Shadow of Fear."

"Well look on the bright side, partners." Clay said. "That's two more Wu rounded up!"

Rai smiled. "Yup. Two Wu and one talking tree. Not bad for a Friday."

Later, after the monks had cleaned up the place (again), they got to know their new roommate.

"So, you don't remember _anything_ before you became a tree?" Kimiko asked.

Barkey shook his head. "Nope. Nothing. All I know is that I am guardian of this temple."

"Yeah, about that…" Dojo was perched on one of his branches. "I think there's enough room in this temple for two Xiaolin guardians, don't you?"

"…Yes, I suppose so." Barkey relented. "So I used to know you?"

"Eh, we were never really that close, you were almost as grumpy back then as you are now." Dojo looked around him and licked his lips. "But you've got nice peaches, though."

"Do not even think about it." Barkey said sternly. Dojo didn't listen and opened his mouth. He was suddenly snagged by a branch and flung away, where he would have gone a long way had Clay not used the Lasso Boa Boa to snag him and bring him back in.

"So what's the deal with those things, anyway?" Raimundo questioned. "Do they grant immortality or something? Do we have to pass some kind of test to prove we're worthy of their power?"

"No, nothing like that." Barkey said. "I just do not like people eating my peaches."

' _Kinda selfish.'_ Raimundo thought but wisely decided to leave it at that.

"Young monks." A familiar voice announced. Everyone turned to see Master Fung standing there, looking solid.

"Master Fung! Are you…here?" Dojo asked, cautiously slithering up to him and poking him.

"Yes, Dojo, for now. I have an announcement to make." Fung walked up to Ping Pong. "Boris LeGrande, when you first came to the Xiaolin Temple, you aimed to be just like Omi. As such, you allowed yourself to have doubts in your own skillset as a Xiaolin monk. However, even when Shadow was able to deceive everyone against you, you still sought to help the others even when you were not an official monk. You have never given up, whether the situation was fighting a robot several times your size, facing an out-of-control deforestation device, or overcoming your worst nightmares to save Barkey here. Such loyalty and persistence are the traits of a true Xiaolin Warrior."

Ping Pong's eyes widened. "Are you saying…?"

Fung smiled. He pulled a blue sash from behind his back. "Congratulations young warrior of Wood. You have officially reached the Apprentice level."

Ping Pong took the sash on awe. He immediately tied it around his waist. The others walked up to him. Raimundo leaned down and patted him on the back while Omi slung his hand around Ping Pong's shoulder.

"And that's not all I have for you," Fung continued, getting everyone's attention. "Or should I say, not all _we_ have for you." Fung nodded to Barkey. The golden peach that Ping Pong had put inside Barkey's knot floated out and over to him.

The tree winked at him. "Hang onto that, kiddo. It might come in handy someday."

Ping Pong looked between the peach and his new sash, completely overwrought. He didn't even notice when Master Fung had vanished again. All he knew was that his career in discovering who he was in the Xiaolin world had just begun.


	16. S2E2: Heylin Within

**OMAC001-I think I know which story you're talking about, but I'm trying not to copy anybody else. I've got a LOT planned out already, so any similarities between my story and someone else's is a coincidence!**

 **The Devious Angel-Thank you very much, I'm glad you do!**

 **Last chapter of the year! Hard to believe this started back in May, isn't it? Thanks to all who faved, followed and even just read so far. HAPPY 2016!**

* * *

The sun started is daily rise into the sky. The first rays barely poked through Ping Pong's window, but as soon as they did the boy woke with a start, jumping out of bed. He quickly got dressed and performed morning hygiene. Despite still being sleepy, he picked up a long list of things he had told himself he would do.

"I am a Xiaolin Apprentice. I must learn it all." He said to himself with a yawn. With that, he got to work.

Later that morning, when Raimundo groggily walked into the kitchen to get himself breakfast, he saw with a startle that it had been prepared for him. He also noticed that the floors looked freshly mopped.

"Good morning, Leader Raimundo!" Raimundo looked to see Ping Pong on a footstool wiping the countertops. Only ninety-seven more chores to do after this!"

"So you were serious…" Raimundo said to himself before shaking his head. "Hey, little dude, it's great that you're so psyched to be movin' up, and heck, I hate doing chores, but don't you think this is a little much?"

"Thank you for the concern, but I must learn to be as fantastique as the rest of you! I do not want to let anyone down after receiving my new ranking!" Ping Pong gestured proudly to his new blue Apprentice sash.

"Well yeah, just don't overextend yourself, okay?"

"I promise. Now if you will excuse me, I must put aside ten minutes for training before I help Clay plant our new crops." Ping Pong rushed out of the room. Raimundo shook his head and sat down to the breakfast Ping Pong made him. "Mmm, not bad…"

* * *

Ping Pong soon found himself practicing some Tai Chi maneuvers Omi had shown him while the other bald monk stood on the sidelines.

"Yes, Little Gecko, you would like my friend Jermaine. He showed me how to represent and blend in with the big city."

"Mmhmm." Ping Pong was only half-listening as he focused on the moves.

"Unfortunately we could not stay long, as shortly after he helped me win the Serpent's Tail, the Culver Crystal, which produces a flash of light to stun one's opponents, revealed itself and we had to leave."

"Most unfortunate. Alligator Plowing Field!" Ping Pong performed a short-range jumping attack. "Crab Mowing Lawn! Pig Licking Ice Cream!" Ping Pong performed a few more moves. He wiped his brow. "How was that, Brother Omi?"

"Most impressive, for an Apprentice." Omi noted. "Particularly excellent use of 'Pig Licking Ice Cream'. However, that move is simple compared to the much harder 'Cheetah Eating Ice Cream'. You see-"

"Apologies, Brother Omi, but I must help Clay with the crops."

"Already?" Omi asked, but Ping Pong had already zipped off. Omi sighed.

Clay was out in the field outside the temple, getting ready to plant the seeds when Ping Pong came running up.

"I am ready to help you, Brother Clay." Ping Pong said while panting a little bit, an action that did not go unnoticed.

"You sure 'bout that, lil' partner? I love a good rodeo as much as the next fella, but as we say in Texas, ya gotta know when to get off the bull."

"I am fine! If I am to help you stop Chase Young, I must catch up to you, and these acts of character-building are the best way to do that!"

"Well, guess I can't argue with that. After all, there's nothin' like some hard work to put some hair on yer chest!" Clay reluctantly agreed.

"Yes, now let's begin! I will give you all my fingers!" Ping Pong said. As the Dragons of Earth and Wood got to work, they didn't notice the black crow watching them.

"Hmm…it seems like the little one doesn't know when to rest." Chase noted.

"Did you get all that just from that one little exchange?" Shadow quipped from where she stood.

"I agree it is unfortunate that we can no longer see into the temple itself. It seems that Barkey's revitalization has produced some sort of shield around the temple. It doesn't seem to stop intruders physically, at least not by default, but it prevents the Heylin Eyeball's reception from coming through."

Shadow scoffed. "Waiting until they start gardening to learn anything, how evil."

"Watch your tone, girl." Chase warned. "The key to being successful at anything is patience. We will learn what we need to about the youngest monks."

"Why are you so obsessed with those two gumdrops anyway?"

"Omi has potential you don't understand. He might grow strong enough to defeat me one day. As for the other, he will only feed that potential. As I have said before, he does not have the ego Omi has; he's sort of a 'foil' to him, so to speak. Omi's a big enough threat on his own, but with the other one by his side to curb his weaknesses…"

"Okay, okay, I get it; the four-eyed bean's a cheap shot for the good guys. What do you plan on doing about it?" Shadow asked.

"I plan to destroy him, of course, and with a young and innocent yet overexerting opponent like this, there's only one way to do that."

"Let him destroy himself." Shadow finished.

"You catch on a little too quickly, my phoenix. Luckily, I know just the thing. Did you retrieve the Shen Gong Wu I asked you to from the vault?"

"Mm-hmm. Love it, by the way." Shadow said, holding out her finger to show a black ring with the Xiaolin Dragon symbol on it. Chase quickly took it off. "You never let me have anything." Shadow pouted.

"I assure you, Shadow, this ring is far more trouble than it's worth, especially for someone as inexperienced as Ping Pong. Here is what you will do…"

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

"There we go, that should do it…" Dojo was organizing a large room in the temple. He was fluffing the pillows on a bed with blue covers and dusted a shelf he had placed several pictures of him and Master Fung on. "Whenever you're done with your 'enigmatic old-man master walk", you will have a happy little room to come home to." Dojo finished by properly positioning his stuffed Fung on the pillows of the bed. He stepped back and looked around. "There. Master Fung will like this room when he finally gets here."

"Oh I agree, Dojo."

"Why thank y-huh?" Dojo looked around but didn't see anyone.

"Over here, sugah."

Dojo looked into a mirror he had set up to see a young blonde woman in a white dress materialize in front of him. Dojo shrieked and turned around, but he didn't see anything, so he turned back to the mirror.

"Wh-what are you doing here?! How did you get in here?! We have a shield now!"

"That doesn't really kick in until that talkin' tree wants it to." Willow finished.

"Oh yeah, good point." Dojo gulped.

"But no need to raise any alarms on account o' lil' ol' me. Actually, I want to apologize for Chase's, um, 'eventful' housewarming party."

"Oh yeah, _you_ , apologize? And dinosaurs will start walking again-oh wait…"

"At least accept my apology gift." Willow suddenly appeared behind Dojo and dropped a small present in front of him.

"Oh no, I'm not opening that! No way Hosea! Not a-" Dojo stopped when his claws moved on their own and opened the box. He shakily looked inside the box to see the black ring. He blinked.

"The Ring of the Nine Dragons? What the -" Dojo picked it up and sniffed it. "Yup, it's the real thing, but why did you give me-Willow?" Dojo looked around to see that the girl had vanished. He looked back at the ring. "What was all that about?" He asked himself.

"Dojo!" Ping Pong ran into the room. "I have just finished mixing the bread dough and putting it in the oven. Your tail massage is chore number seventy-two. Only twenty-nine left to do…" He yawned.

"Hey, you should really take a break there." The dragon said, concerned.

Ping Pong waved his hand. "No no, I am fine…ooh, what is that ring you have there?"

"This? This is the Ring of the Nine Dragons. This Shen Gong Wu allows its user to split up into nine versions of themselves. But be warned, it's very unpredictable." Dojo yawned. "That tail massage will have to wait. I've had a long day preparing this room and could use a quick naaaaa…" Dojo crawled onto the bed, clutched his Fung plushy, and fell asleep instantly. Ping Pong quietly snuck up to him and took the Ring from him. He quickly scampered out of the room and looked down at his prize.

"With nine of me, not only can I finish all of my extra-credit chores, I can get back to my training as well. I will become a Shoku Warrior in no time!" Satisfied with his plan, Ping Pong slipped the Wu onto his finger. "Ring of the Nine Dragons!" There was a bright flash of light followed by many childish voices.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the monks had set up a training ground well outside of the temple. They were now testing it.

Raimundo and Kimiko hopped across some pegs in a square hole in the floor. Raimundo then jumped towards her. "Fox Sweating Fire!" The leader said while spinning his body around leaving only his head intact. "Fist of the Hurricane!" Kimiko returned, maintaining a still upright position on her peg. When Raimundo got to her, Kimiko lashed out, just managing to get him and make him fly back, though he was able to regain his balance on another peg.

Near them, Omi and Clay were sparring, Omi with a staff and Clay just bare. "Moose Chasing Goose!" Omi said, thrusting forward with his staff. Clay just jumped on it and used it like a springboard to send him into the air. Of course the weight was far too much for Omi, making him lose his footing and fall to the ground.

"Flying Monkey Kick!" Clay said as he came down with his foot out. Omi managed to jump back before the cowboy could strike him.

Raimundo and Kimiko were coming over to join in when the former stumbled over something. It was a large stone block with an unusually-shaped indent in it. There was a circle in the center with eight straight branches coming from it each topped with a triangle and a small circle on the very top.

"What the heck is this thing?" Raimundo questioned. The other Shoku Warriors came to take a look.

"Looks like some sorta ancient puzzle." Clay proposed.

"Yeah, but where's the piece?" Kimiko asked.

"It is most smartfounding."

Raimundo sighed. "Dumbfounding."

"I can only wonder what can of bronze waits at the end of this snow-bow."

Rai face-palmed. "Seriously, Omi?!"

"Um, Raimundo, that wasn't me."

"Huh?" The gang turned to see that the speaker hadn't been Omi, but Ping Pong. His outfit exactly resembled Omi's, black pants and all. His glasses were absent as well. The only thing that told it was Ping Pong besides his size was the three glowing dots on his forehead.

"Ping Pong? Is that you?" Kimiko asked incredulously.

"What is the matter my friends? Of course it is me. I can tell you secondhand."

Raimundo whistled. "Takin' the whole fanboy thing to a new level, eh dude?"

"I do not know what you are talking about. I am my own ear witness that I am the same!"

"I believe he is telling the truth." The monks looked with wide eyes as another Ping Pong walked up. This one still had his glasses, but was dressed in a white preacher's robe and hat with a necklace of a cross around his neck. "The Lord frowns upon liars."

The monks blinked with comically wide eyes. "Did a mule kick me in the head without me noticin'?" Clay finally said.

Suddenly the monks heard giggling followed by a few crashes coming from inside the temple. Confused, the monks went in only to stop when they saw four more Ping Pongs playing around. One was a chubby feminine version in a frilly pink dress and tiara; another very muscular and shirtless one was trying to balance tall stacks of plates on each hand, which were falling and making the crashing sounds. Another was dressed in gym clothes with big round sunglasses; this one was running around and up the walls, making even more things fall over. The last was dressed in a red shirt, blue jeans, white shoes, and had a pencil behind his ear. This one was sitting quietly in the corner reading a book.

"What in the name of-" Raimundo began. "How did-"

Clay sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "Uh, Rai, I think we got bigger problems right now!"

"Like what?!"

"Like that!" Clay pointed outside where the monks saw smoke rising from the forest in the distance.

Gathering the situation in a millisecond, Raimundo started barking instructions. "Omi and I will take care of that. Kimiko, Clay, you guys watch Ping Pong…s!"

"You got it, partner!" Clay said, saluting as the other two ran off.

Raimundo and Omi made it to the forest and saw some trees that had caught on fire. The two Shoku Warriors looked to each other and nodded.

"Shoku Neptune, Water!" Omi called, shooting a burst of water into the air.

"Shoku Astro, Wind!" Raimundo answered, making a burst of wind that blew Omi's water over the trees and doused the fire.

But before the two boys could pat themselves on the backs, more fires started appearing in the distance. They quickly ran over, this time looking for the source. They saw it in the form of two more Ping Pongs. One looked like a toddler, with childish clothing and smears of what looked like food on his face. The other was dressed in a black leather jacket with skull earrings and unlike the others had hair, specifically a red Mohawk. Both of them were holding flaming torches and were happily running through the forest, setting trees on fire wherever they went. With another nod from Raimundo, Omi went to douse the fire whereas the leader ran to catch up with the two junior arsonists.

As the Dragon of Wind ran after them, he didn't notice someone else doing the same: it was yet another Ping Pong, this one dressed in a sharp black tuxedo. "My wild and free-spirited counterparts, I highly recommend you cease this violent activity…please?" Despite his politeness, he was ignored by his two other selves. Raimundo didn't notice him either, leaving him in the dust. One of Chase's crows was watching them.

"That's the one." Chase said, pointing to the image of the polite Ping Pong in the Eyeball. "Bring him to me." He instructed.

The crow cawed and fluttered down to ground level. When it touched the ground, it changed form into a panther. The Ping Pong component barely had time to turn around before the cat was upon him.

"Burn, baby, burn!" The punk Ping Pong shouted with wicked glee while the babyish one just giggled with normal glee. Just then, a strong breeze came out of nowhere and snuffed out their torches.

"Playtime's over, kiddies!" Raimundo said, standing in front of them with his hands on his hips. The two looked ready to run away again, but Raimundo sucked them back towards him. Omi then came up to him, looking a little cooked but otherwise fine. "I have extinguished the fire, Raimundo."

"Great. How's about helping me contain these two?" Omi nodded and the two once again combined their powers, this time producing a bubble made of water with a large pocket of air within to hold the two troublemakers. Rai and Omi then carried the two back to the temple where Kimiko and Clay had managed to keep the other six under control. Omi popped the bubble and let the other two join them.

"Hey kids, have you seen Ping Pong? I can't find him!" Dojo called out. He slithered into the room and saw the eight Ping Pongs. He gulped. "Never mind." He quickly said.

"What happened to him? It is as if he used the-" Omi gasped. "-Ring of the Nine Dragons!" He pointed and sure enough, the familiar ring was on all of them.

"So that's where it went. I knew I should have warned the kid not to use it!" Dojo said before realizing what he just said. He quickly found himself surrounded.

"How did _you_ get the Ring of the Nine Dragons, Dojo?" Kimiko demanded.

The dragon gulped. "Willow gave it to me to apologize for Chase taking over the temple the other day."

"Willow?! You mean _Shadow_! It was a trap, Dojo!"

"Well if this is a trap, it's a mighty weak one. After all, we just gotta rope all them Ping Pongs back together and problem solved, plus we got another Wu back!" Clay explained.

Rai scratched his head. "Yeah, this is way too easy! Besides, there's only eight of them! Where's the last one?"

"Maybe he only made eight." Omi argued. "Even I knew better than to use the Ring's full power right away."

"Yeah," Kimiko agreed, "But still, it's weird that Ping Pong would stop just one short."

"Oh who cares?!" Omi exclaimed. "We can figure that out later! For now, I think we should help our friend!" Omi walked up to the counterpart that looked the most like him.

"Greetings, good-looking. It is like looking into a window." The Ping Pong said. Omi stopped. "Don't you mean 'mirror'? How can you get that wrong?" he asked. He then shook his head and put his hand on the Ring adorning the clone's finger. "Ring of the Nine Dragons!" The eight Ping Pongs floated into the air an converged into each other until only one normal looking Ping Pong was back. The boy dropped in front of them. He slowly stood up and gripped his head. "Ugh, splitting headache! At least there is only one of me again!"

"Yay, Ping Pong's back!" Omi cheerfully said as the others gathered around him.

"You okay, lil' partner?" Clay asked.

"Yeah yeah, I am fine." Ping Pong responded.

"Why'd you do this in the first place?" Kimiko questioned.

"So I could finish all of those stinkin' chores." Ping Pong spat with more spite than the monks expected. They just put it down to stress, though.

"We told you to go easy on yourself." Kimiko said, shaking her head. "Still, I guess we should have been more firm with that."

"Yeah, guess so." Raimundo agreed. "But at least it's all over now." He said as the others walked back to the temple.

* * *

In Chase's citadel, the other Ping Pong was shackled to the wall, but at ground level this time.

"Your lair is most wondrous to look at, but may I please be excused now? My friends are probably wondering where I am."

"Of course I'll let you go," Chase said. He then held up a bowl of steaming green liquid with a dragon tail sticking out. "But first, how about some refreshments?"

Ping Pong's eyes widened and he backed against the wall as far as his chained limbs would allow. "Not to sound rude, but I think I'll pass. I must watch my gentlemanly figure, after all."

"Nonsense, it's made from all-natural ingredients." Chase insisted with a wave of his hand.

"I know what is in that stuff! You slaughter helpless dragons! That is not nice you know; a good friend of mine is a dragon!"

"Indeed." Chase said. "And Dojo is no ordinary dragon. His extra magical essence would make an especially potent batch, wouldn't you say?"

Ping Pong gasped.

"I don't suppose I could have a sip _then_?" Shadow interrupted from where she was standing.

Chase regarded her with a cold look.

"It was worth a try." Shadow mumbled.

"P-please leave Dojo alone. I beg of you!" The tuxedo-wearing prisoner exclaimed.

"I promise I will, at least for now, if you drink this." Chase held out the bowl.

Ping Pong sighed, but his noble side (which was all of him) knew he had no choice. He tilted his head up. Chase knelt down and raised the bowl to the boy's lips. Ping Pong slurped the whole thing down, leaving just the tail in the bowl. Ping Pong started gagging as fins took the place of his ears. His skin was replaced with yellow scales while his hands and feet became claws. Spikes grew in a vertical line down his backside, ripping him out of his tuxedo. The pants were torn apart by the large spiky tail that grew out. The poor boy felt his teeth sharpen into daggers as his eyes turned red with black slits. The change completed with a massive boost in strength, which Ping Pong used to break the shackles holding him. The new humanoid reptile roared in primal rage as he scampered up the wall and down onto some jungle cats, knocking them senseless almost effortlessly.

"What raw power…" Shadow breathed.

After scaring away the small crowd of cats, Reptilian Ping Pong tensed up and dug his new claws into his new head. In a flash, he was back to how he looked before; his clothes had even rematerialized.

"What happened?" Shadow asked.

"The Soup only takes complete affect when the subject chooses to accept its power." Chase explained.

"But he did that!" Shadow protested.

Chase held up a finger. "That was blackmail; there's a difference." He turned back to Ping Pong who was rolling on the floor. "In any case, the Soup always begins with the newfound primal side taking over for a while. I'm afraid you won't be responsible for your actions, at least not at first." Ping Pong barely registered what Chase had said before slipping into unconsciousness. Chase snapped his fingers and the same panther from before cautiously walked around Ping Pong up to him.

"Take him back." Chase instructed. The panther looked extremely reluctant, but did as Chase commanded and picked the boy up by his suit with his mouth. The cat carefully walked out of the room as if he was holding either a newborn baby or a bomb.

Chase folded his arms with a satisfied smile. "Now for the next phase."

"There's a next phase?" Shadow asked, walking up to him.

"I told you, he hasn't completely accepted the Soup's power yet. That will change soon enough…" he grinned.

The five monks were back on the exercise ground they had set up. Clay had used his powers to produce a large round boulder that they all stood on. They were hunched together and were trying to maneuver the rock by coordinating each other's movements together. Just then, Ping Pong grinned mischievously. He quickly shuffled his speedy feet to quickly move the rock around until Clay lost his balance and fell off. Kimiko went next, followed by Raimundo and finally Omi until Ping Pong stood atop the rock laughing. The other monks just looked at each other.

Later, the monks and Dojo were enjoying the freshly baked bread Ping Pong had made. As they all chewed up the wholesome goodness, Ping Pong tore off a chunk of his slice and threw it at Clay, then Rai and Omi.

"Ping Pong!" Omi exclaimed before jumping onto the table. "This is not proper conduct for a disciplined Xiaolin Warrior! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I say…" Ping Pong quickly leaned over and pulled Omi's pants down. As Ping Pong laughed, Omi shrieked. "My bare body! I do not like looking at it! No one look, not even me!" Omi covered his eyes, but then looked down again. "Ooh, I peeked!" Ping Pong then gave Omi a wedgie before running off laughing; however he didn't get very far.

"Lasso Boa Boa!" Ping Pong found himself ensnared by the ropy Wu and reeled in by Clay. "Not so fast, ya lil' varmint!" Clay said.

"What has gotten into you?!" Omi demanded after realigning his lower area. "It is if all the good and polite parts of you have just up and…walked…away…" Omi chuckled nervously. "I may have been wrong about there being one more Ping Pong…"

"Surprise, surprise." Raimundo snarked, causing Omi to look at him annoyed.

"Guess we've got one more Ping Pong t' round up!" Clay declared.

"My friends!" Ping Pong's voice shouted from outside the room. The tuxedo-wearing monk dashed in through the door. "Something very bad is about to happen!"

"Well that wasn't too hard." Kimiko said.

"I have very terrible news!" The Ping Pong said before Omi walked up to him. "It is alright, Little Gecko. We will have you back to yourself in no time."

"That is just it! I am _not_ myself! I-"

"Ring of the Nine Dragons!" Omi called, holding up the ring. The Ping Pong in front of him levitated into the air; the other one slipped out of the Lasso Boa Boa to float up next to him. The two Ping Pongs swirled and merged with each other until just one Ping Pong remained and plopped down on the floor.

"Okay, now Ping Pong really _is_ back." Omi said, smiling.

Ping Pong got up and shook his head. Suddenly, his reptilian tail sprouted through his pants, causing everyone to step back. Ping Pong's teeth became fangs as well.

"Wh-what's with him?" Dojo stammered.

"Beats the hay outta me!" Clay answered.

"Ping Pong…?" Omi slowly said.

Ping Pong tried to get his changes back under control. He managed to get his tail to retract. "Brother Omi…I am sorry. Chase forced my split self to do it…"

"Do what?" Omi asked, taking his protégé's hand. Ping Pong's hands then became claws, digging into Omi's skin.

"I…had to drink…Chase's evil juice."

"Evil j-you mean the Lao Mang Lone Soup?" Raimundo's eyes bugged out. "YOU DRANK IT?!"

"He promised he wouldn't eat Dojo if I did…" Ping Pong said, causing the small dragon to gulp. "It was my gentlemanly side…"

"Ooohhh, this is bad." Rai said. "This is really, _really_ bad."

"I am sorry…" Ping Pong said, falling on his knees.

"Wait." Dojo suddenly said. "Did you _just_ do it to make that deal? You didn't want to become super powerful?"

"No, of course not."

Dojo seemed to try to calm himself down. "Then it's not over yet."

"What do you mean, Dojo?" Kimiko asked.

"I've been finding out all I can about the Lao Mang Lone Soup ever since I was almost turned into it." Dojo explained. "If I remember correctly (which I always do), Ping Pong can barter for his freedom from the Soup's power."

Rimundo winced. "And lemme guess. If Ping Pong loses…"

Dojo nodded. "Hello, Chase Junior." He said, gesturing to Ping Pong who was looking more reptilian by the minute.

"We will have to take that chance." Omi said determinedly. "What must we do?"

"Well, we'll have to wait for a Wu to reveal itself…" Dojo stopped talking as he coiled up like a spring and suddenly straightened back out in mid-air. "Just like this one now!" He pulled out the scroll and opened it. "Ah, here we go; the Bouncy Wouncy!"

Despite the situation, the Shoku Warriors had to put their hand over their mouths to stifle their giggles.

"It's not a joke!" Dojo snapped. "It's like a souped-up version of the Mantis Flip Coin. With this puppy in your hands, you can jump across and over any object!"

"Okay, dumbest name _ever_ , but a Wu's a Wu! Let's go!" Raimundo said.

Ping Pong gripped his head as fins replaced his ears. "I don't mean to be a burden, but you might want to lock me up or something."

"Don't worry, lil' dude, we gotcha. Ready Omi?" Raimundo asked. The other monk nodded and the two once again combined their powers to put Ping Pong in a water bubble. The monks piled on Dojo and took off, Chase only being able to see them once they left the temple's shield.

"Now for the next phase." He said, turning and walking toward the exit.

"And this _won't_ be like those other times you've had them in your grasp just to have them slip out again?" Shadow asked.

"We will have to take that chance." Chase answered, never wavering in his step. Shadow was silent as she followed.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

In no time the monks had arrived at a frozen lake somewhere in the north. In the middle of the lake was a large icy rock protrusion with the Bouncy Wouncy on top. It resembled a golden frog with green diamond-shaped gemstone eyes and a wide open mouth that was red on the inside.

"There it is!" Omi said, pointing.

"Yeah, but…" Raimundo said, looking around. "Figures. The one time we actually _want_ the big scary bad guy to drop in on us…"

"Present and accounted for." Chase said, he and Shadow appearing on the other side of the rock. Omi growled and clenched his fists. "You have gone too far this time, Chase Young!"

"Have I, Omi? Or have I not gone far enough before?" Chase shot back. "Besides, it seems like you can barely handle this." He said, pointing to the water bubble alongside them. Inside Ping Pong was scratching at the inside; he was just making ripples but they were getting more intense.

"Keep it together, man…" Raimundo said, but it was no use. With one final burst, Ping Pong popped the bubble, leaving him standing there in his full reptilian form. Omi got in front of him, but Ping Pong just tackled him to the ground before scampering up towards the Wu. He managed to get his hand on it at the same time Chase did.

"I suppose this is the part where you challenge me to a Showdown for your body's freedom?" the evil overlord inquired. Ping Pong hesitated before shifting to human again and nodding.

"Very well, alongside your freedom, I wager the Culver Crystal." Chase held aloft a round glass sphere with a pyramid-shaped crystal inside dangling by a rope.

"And I wager the Ring of the Nine Dragons." Ping Pong said, holding up the ring. Omi's eyes widened before he searched his pockets. Ping Pong must have taken it when he tackled him.

"Since this is the biggest gamble of your life, I think a fitting game shall be 'Xiaolin Billiards'. Whoever knocks each other's balls, and each other, into the pockets wins."

"I accept. Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

The ice cracked under everyone's feet before a giant pool table rose out of it into the air, taking everyone with it. The polished wooden edges rose up exponentially, ensuring the spectators wouldn't be able to interfere with the Showdown. Chase and Ping Pong stood on opposite sides of the table; giant plain pool balls then shot from the cannons into the air. There were twenty in all; ten green and ten purple. The green ones landed in a triangle shape behind Ping Pong; the purple ones did the same for Chase.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!"

"After you, my friend." Chase said.

"I am not your friend!" Ping Pong retorted before instinctively knowing what to do. He jumped into the air and tucked in his arms and legs. Using unrealistic physics, Ping Pong bounced along the table toward Chase's pool balls.

' _Yes I am his friend; we are on the same side._ '

Ping Pong tried to ignore these thoughts, but then threw his aim off. He grazed the side of the front ball, dislodging the others from their triangle formation, but not sending them very far. Chase smirked, as if he knew what was going on inside Ping Pong's head before doing the same action he did and bouncing toward his balls, hitting them straight on. The balls bounced around the table until one fell into a pocket.

Having gained another turn, Chase went again, but no balls went in.

Ping Pong looked toward one of Chase's purple balls that was close to a pocket. He tried to knock it in, but once again his newfound Heylin side refused and he knocked it to the side. This went on for a while, the monks overlooking the Showdown growing more and more worried every time Chase sunk one of Ping Pong's balls and the monk failing to do the same. Soon enough, every green ball had been cleared, leaving just Ping Pong left. He tried to maintain a battle stance, but Chase easily knocked him to the side.

"Time to end this game, little one." Chase said, walking to stand over him. "Welcome to the Heylin side."

"Why…why are you doing this?" Ping Pong weakly asked.

"I have my reasons." Chase reared his foot back to kick him, but Ping Pong rolled out of the way just in time and stood up.

"Time to even the playing field." Ping Pong said. "Ring of the Nine Dragons!" Ping Pong held up his hand and a bright flash of light covered the table. When Chase could look again, nine Ping Pongs stood before him. The Omi-like one was still holding his hand up and the punk one had been turned into the reptilian one but still had the leather jacket and red Mohawk.

"Ping Pongs, it is time to twist this thing the other way!" The Omi one shouted.

"'Turn this thing around'!" Raimundo shouted from his vantage point.

"That too!"

The reptilian one jumped at Chase and clung to his face while the other eight curled into balls and threw themselves at Chase's purple pool balls. One by one the clones knocked the balls into the pockets until they were all gone. Case stumbled next to a pocket before the reptile leapt off. He looked at all the Ping Pongs. "Clever move, boy." Chase struck a pose. "But it's not over yet."

The tuxedo-wearing polite one walked up. "With all due respect, yes it is." He looked toward the reptilian one and nodded. Said clone nodded enthusiastically while making corresponding grunts of excitement. He held up Chase's Shen Gong Wu, which he had stolen from him.

"CULVER CRYSTAL!" The jacket-wearing lizard shouted in a distorted version of Ping Pong's voice. He lobbed it at Chase like a grenade. The pyramid in the center of the sphere shone with a brilliant light, stunning Chase. As the Heylin warlord covered his eyes, the Omi and Reptilian Ping Pongs curled into balls and rammed into Chase, knocking him over the edge into the pocket. The two turned to each other and shook hands.

"Xiaolin or Heylin…" the Omi one began.

"…We hate that guy." The Reptilian one finished along with the Showdown.

When everything was back to normal, Ping Pong landed in front of his friends holding the Bouncy Wouncy, Ring of the Nine Dragons, and Culver Crystal; furthermore he was back in one piece without a scale to be seen on his body. Omi couldn't help himself and rushed forward to hug the boy.

"My friends, I am finally back, and I am feeling good!" Ping Pong rubbed his head. "And to think this all began because I wanted to move higher in rank by exhausting myself with chores. Last time I do that, _ugh_."

"Don't sweat it, kid. You'll catch up to us one day. Just because you're not at our level now, doesn't mean you'll never be. Trust me on that." Raimundo assured him with a wink.

"Yeah, partner, you just gotta know when to corral yerself at the end o' the day." Clay added.

"Merci, everyone. Now let's go home." Ping Pong said, an idea everyone agreed with.

Chase watched them leave from the rocky ledges overlooking the frozen lake.

"Worked out just like you planned, right?" Shadow asked from behind him.

Chase didn't respond.

"You know what you said earlier about me catching on too quickly?" Shadow continued, "This plan didn't seem like you."

Still no sound from Chase.

"I mean you're usually all 'patience is a virtue' and 'Evil must be chosen', but you dealing with Ping Pong, first the brain thing and now this…"

"I told you," Chase finally said, "The boy is an unnecessary addition to the Xiaolin team, and must be eliminated before he boosts the others' power, especially Omi's."

"Yeah, I know all that, but I'm starting to think that's not the full story."

Chase went back to being silent.

"This whole thing you have with the little jelly beans…it's personal, isn't it? Do you know them, or maybe they just remind y-"

Without warning, Chase turned reptilian and leapt at Shadow, pinning her against the rock wall. "What have I told you about questioning me?! My motives are mine and mine _alone_!"

"S-S-Sorry!" Shadow stammered with Chase's claw over her neck.

Chase released her and turned human again. "Let's go." He said before disappearing in an orange flash. Shadow rubbed her neck for a moment before turning into her namesake and following him.


	17. S2E3: Puppy Hate

**OMAC001-It won't be soon, exactly, but hang in there!**

 **Devious Angel-Haha right? Some of it was from the actual episode, the rest I made up.**

 **Ways-Thank you once again for your thoughtful review! Getting Chase right is actually one of my biggest concerns, so I'm happy to see I'm doing a good job (in your eyes anyway).**

 **Sort of a filler chapter this time, next one will pick up a little more, promise!**

* * *

Snow howled around the village as the Xiaolin monks trudged through it.

"Good old Russia…I am _so_ glad to be back…" Kimiko said sarcastically while furiously rubbing her arms. She and the others were all dressed in winter clothing, but it could only do so much against the harsh Russian weather.

"I hear ya. As soon as we get back, I'm whippin' up some hot cocoa…" Raimundo added. "How we doin'?" He asked Dojo, who he was holding in his gloved hands with the dragon being completely horizontal.

"We're getting close. A little more, there!" Dojo said, pointing to a sales cart holding many little trinkets and jewelry (most of which were likely fake) on it.

"Let me do the talking, guys. This'll take a certain level of street smarts that only yours truly has mastered." Raimundo said, walking up to the cart with a smug smile on his face.

"How can a street be smart? It is inanimate." Omi asked, but was ignored as they walked up. Raimundo leaned on the surface of the cart. "Excuse me, my good man."

" _Da_." The vendor who until now was facing away from the monks turned around. "How may I help-"

Both the vendor and the monks jumped back in alarm from seeing each other (except for Ping Pong, who just stood there confused).

" _Vlad?!_ " The monks exclaimed.

"Xiaolin Losers?" The man answered back.

Ping Pong looked back and forth between them. "I assume you know this man?" He said at last.

Raimundo recollected himself and nodded. "This is Vlad. Last time we were in Russia looking for the Crystal Glasses, we thought he'd make a good addition to the team. Only to find out he was working for Jack Spicer all along!"

Ping Pong ooohhh'd.

"I see you have found replacement for me." The Russian man interrupted. "Even punier version of puny Omi; how impressive. In any case, I do not work for Jack Spicer anymore. He said he had 'enough muscle-bound morons' on his team." Vlad said while using air-quotes. "Now with that out of way…" Vlad cracked his knuckles, causing the monks to take fighting stances.

Vlad suddenly beamed a large smile. "Are you interested in humble wares? Because if not, to be making room for paying customers, please."

This took the monks by surprise. "You…don't wanna fight? You're not gonna go all 'this is your fault, you'll pay for this, blah blah blah'?" Raimundo asked.

"Of course not, is Vlad's own fault if one thinks about it. Now are you going to buy something or not?"

The monks took a moment to huddle in and whisper amongst each other; after a few seconds Dojo poked his head out to look at Vlad, who just waved at him before he slunk back in.

When they were done, Raimundo walked up to the counter and put on his best 'business' smile. "Why yes, actually. How much for those two lovely looking rings there?" Raimundo pointed to a pair of identical rings that were interlocked with each other. The rings were a bright sandy color with round lavender jewels set in yellow bands. On either side of each band was another purple jewel shaped like a five-sided diamond. These were outlined by yellow slots of the same shape with engravings of two interlocked rings below them.

Vlad picked up the trinket by one ring and let the other dangle from it. "These?"

Raimundo briefly looked to Dojo, who nodded. "That's right."

"Excellent choice." After Vlad told him the price, Raimundo's eyebrows shot up. "A bit much, don't you think?"

" _Da_ , but just because I am no longer evil henchman doesn't mean I am no longer evil." Vlad said with a smooth grin.

"Can't argue with that. Fine." Raimundo said as he forked over the money.

"See, Wuya? I told you I'd find them!"

"A bit late, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Everyone looked up to see Jack and Wuya hovering above them along with a slew of upgraded Jack-Bots.

"Thought you could get away from Jack Spicer, eh? Well I'll show you what happens to those who- _Vlad_?!"

The burly man had stopped in mid-transaction, holding out the rings for Raimundo to take, which Jack saw. "No no no, what are you doing?! Don't sell them-"

Raimundo quickly swiped the rings from Vlad's hand. "Thanks, Vlad. Pleasure doin' business with ya!" He said quickly as the Xiaolin monks skedaddled. The Jack-Bots rushed after them, but it was useless.

After the monks had escaped, Jack buried his head in his hands.

"So we lost the Rings of Amethyst." Wuya said in an unamused tone while folding her ghostly arms. "But the monks didn't just beat you to them this time, oh no, they were given to them by your own _henchman_!"

Vlad, who until this point had been confused, suddenly hit a revelation. "Oooohhh, rings were Shen Gong Wu." He said.

"He's not my henchman anymore!" Jack answered Wuya back. "And _this_ is why!" He said, glaring at Vlad, who shrunk back from his former employer's gaze. Jack then sighed. "Let's go." He said, taking off with the Heli-Bot.

"It's not like your other lackeys are any better." Wuya grumbled as they flew.

"Are too!" Jack snapped back. He hated when Wuya said things like that…

* * *

…Especially when she was right. His lab was trashed. Katnappe was lounging around while her genetically altered super kittens were tearing up Jack's trench coats. Tubbimura had gotten into his snack stash and had made a mess, and Cyclops seemed to be playing an improvised game of whack-a-mole with his fists as the mallets and Jack-Bots as moles.

Jack shook his head and put on a 'super serious evil genius' glare. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" He said, getting everyone's attention. "There's gonna be some changes around here!"

"Good." Katnappe interrupted. "My kittens are tired of scratching up the same blah outfits over and over."

"Not that...Cyclops, no! Not him!" Jack suddenly yelled, stopping Cyclops before he flattened the quivering F-Bot into a pancake.

Just then, a whining sound came from Tubbimura. A small white Chihuahua with brown patches all over her body jumped out of the ninja's outfit and started sniffing the spilled snacks.

Jack immediately took notice of this. "You brought Cupcake Head?"

" _Muffin Face_." Tubbimura corrected. "And she's just anxious because she hasn't had her second walk today, isn't that right, my precious?" Tubbimura said in an overly affectionate voice. While Muffin Face was sniffing around, one of Katnappe's cats walked up to her. The dog growled at it, but the kitten's eyes turned red and it hissed. Muffin Face then whimpered and went back to Tubbimura.

Jack face-palmed. "I swear, if she could talk, the _dog_ would make a better minion than all of you!" Katnappe hissed, having taken offense to that while Cyclops just babbled his usual gibberish. A cartoon lightbulb than appeared over Jack's head. "Wait a minute…" He ran back into the depths of the warehouse. Sounds of rummaging could be heard in the distance, even a stock 'startled cat' sound effect. One of Katnappe's kittens then ran out of the back area to its owner.

"I thought I was one short…" The thief said to herself as they listened to Jack's searching. Finally, with a cry of 'Aha! Found it!', Jack came back smiling. "Oh Tubbi…"

"Yes?" Tubbimura slowly said with a raised eyebrow at Jack's tone.

"How much service would _this_ get me?" Jack held up what he had been looking for: a brown and yellow dog collar with a tag shaped like a brown animal head dangling from it.

"Thank you, but Muffin Face doesn't need any fancy collars, do you girl?" The ninja cooed.

"This isn't just any old dog collar! This is the Tag of Cherokee Shen Gong Wu! It makes animals talk!"

That got Tubbimura's attention. "Really?"

"Really! Here, try it." Jack handed the Tag to Tubbimura, who instantly affixed it to Muffin Face's neck.

"Are you sure about this?" Wuya whispered to Jack.

"Can the fleabag make any worse of an evildoer than the rest of us?"

"Good point."

"Tag of Cherokee!" Tubbimura stated. The green eyes on the collar's tag started glowing. Muffin Face closed her eyes and stood still as the light shone brighter. When it dimmed, the dog was still. When she opened her eyes, everyone was looking at her. She looked at them all before opening her mouth.

"Well, it's about _time_ someone let me get a word in!"

The others were taken aback, Jack himself baffled by Muffin Face's voice; it was high-pitched and snarky with, oddly enough, a Freudian accent.

"M-M-Muffin Face?" Tubbimura inched closer to his pet.

"Of course it's still me, you rotund cretin!"

"I can't believe it!" The ninja shouted, having completely missed the insult. He scooped up Muffin Face and hugged her. "You can talk!"

"Yes, that has been established; now let me go before I am absorbed into your many coils of fat!" The dog barked. "We are going to have _so_ much fun now!" Tubbimura said, putting her down.

Jack cleared his throat. "Muffin Face, I'd like to officially welcome you as part of Jack Spicer's Evil Dream Team. A lovely group who focuses on evil, success, and obeying me. Have fun and all that."

Muffin Face blinked and seemed to ponder Jack's words.

"Come on, Muffin Face. There's all kinds of things we can do now that you can talk!" Tubbimura said, picking her up again. "Everything is different now!" He said as he practically skipped away.

"…What have I just done?" Jack finally asked Wuya.

"I don't know, but like you said, she can't possibly hold you back." The ghost returned.

"Just keep me at least ten yards away from that thing, and we'll be just fine." Katnappe quipped before turning away to lounge some more.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

The next day, Jack came walking into the room. "Hey, has anyone seen my monkey wrench? Or my Monkey Staff, for that matter?"

Katnappe, not even looking up from her magazine, jerked her thumb to her right, where Muffin Face was stacking bits of metal and machinery, including Jack's wrench, into a small structure. She then hopped up to the top and placed the Monkey Staff on top like a spire. Jack just stood and blinked while Muffin Face looked proud of her work.

A couple days later, Jack walked into his computer room to see Muffin Face typing away.

"Hey wh-what are you doing?" Jack asked.

"Just finishing applying for some online courses."

"Online courses?"

Muffin Face swiveled around in the chair. "I've decided to go into psychology. Even villains need professional help every now and then."

"O-kay…if Tubbimura's okay with you using his money for this…"

The little dog smirked. "It's not Tubbimura's money I'm using."

Jack looked confused for a second before it hit him. He pulled out his cell phone and when he checked his online banking account, his jaw dropped.

Muffin Face hopped down from the chair. "You really shouldn't make all your passwords '123'." She nonchalantly said as she walked by him and out of the room. Jack growled under his breath.

"Alright, look alive, people!" Jack called a little later with Wuya by his side. "We've got a new Wu: the, um…" Jack sheepishly turned to Wuya. The ghost sighed. "The Bear Baton. Whoever holds it will be able to transform into a vicious bear to attack their enemies."

"Right. Let's get movin'!" As his lackeys all loaded up, Jack eyed Muffin Face. "And as for you, if you wanna be part of _my_ team, you gotta pull your weight and at least try to be super evil, okay?"

"I will do my best." Was all she said before trotting after Tubbimura. Jack sighed before joining them.

* * *

Dojo flew over a small rocky range. "We're getting close." He said. "I can tell by this annoying itch in my left nostril."

"I hate that!" Raimundo said.

"And it's even worse when you're jumbo-sized." Dojo grumbled as he flew on. Soon the monks landed a short ways off from a small elevated rocky platform holding a red baton with a black bear head on each end.

"Well well, look who it is, comrades: our old friends, the Xiaolin Losers."

The monks looked to see Jack and his entourage all standing there. "You are surprised to see us? But we always meet over Shen Gong Wu." Omi said.

"Of course I knew you were gonna be here, Cue Ball! I was just building up the moment! Which is ruined now, thank you very much! Jack-Bots, Dream Team, SIC 'EM!" Jack called as the so-called "Army of Evil" ran forward.

Raimundo sent tornadoes around some Jack-Bots to pull them apart while he took on Tubbimura. Omi and Ping Pong took some more Bots and Katnappe whereas Clay tangled with Cyclops. Kimiko sent fireball after fireball from her Kanabi Star, roasting the Bots, when she heard a small growl behind her. She turned to see Muffin Face there.

"Aw, look, Jack's got a vicious new attack dog." Kimiko said condescendingly as she kneeled down to the dog's level.

"Please do not patronize me. I get enough of that from Tubbimura." Muffin Face answered back. Kimiko barely had time to be surprised when the dog jumped up and bit her arm. Kimiko shouted and flung her up into the air, only for her to come back down and land on her head.

"Keep your paws outta my hair!" Kimiko yelled as she threw Muffin Face off. The dog rolled to a stop on the ground. She got up and shook herself off. She noticed a dismantled Jack-Bot next to her before hearing Omi and Jack grunting as they raced to the Bear Baton. The two boys put their hands on it, causing it to glow.

"Omi, I challenge you to Xiaolin Showdown!"

"Agreed, Jack Spicer! I wager-"

They were interrupted when a Jack-Bot head landed in-between them. They stopped and stared at it. The metal cone turned over, revealing its one circular red eye to be blinking before-

 _KA-PAFF!_

Omi and Jack were blasted with smoke and both stumbled back coughing. When the smoke cleared, the Bear Baton was gone.

"Ha ha!"

Everyone turned to see Muffin Face standing a short ways off with the Bear Baton in front of her.

Jack beamed and turned to Tubbimura. "Well, look at that! Guess your little rat's good for something after all!"

"I am not a rat!" Muffin Face called back. "And if you want evil, then you got it!" She put her paw on the space in-between the bear heads. "Bear Baton!"

The red eyes on both the bear heads glowed and engulfed Muffin Face with red light. When the Xiaolin and Heylin could look at her again, their eyes widened. In the little dog's place was a several foot tall tan bear-like creature with brown patches all over its body. It stood on two legs and its face looked like a combination of a bear's and a dog's with big, black, and soulless eyes. Its tail was still proportionate to a dog's length and the Tag of Cherokee remained around its neck.

"Muffin Face?" Tubbimura whimpered with wide eyes.

"Don't call me that!" The creature growled in a distorted version of her previous voice. "That was the name everyone called me when they thought I was cute and weak! Call me…BEAR CLAW!"

"…Okay…" Jack said.

"Muffin Face! My little dog is all grown up!" Tubbimura ran to hug her, but he was punched onto his bouncy back.

"What did I just say! From now on, you're gonna start listening to me! Got it?!" The creature snarled down at his quivering form.

"G-g-got it…" The ninja whimpered.

"Okay, as nice as it is to see Jacko the Wacko adding another freak-show to his team, we need that Bear Baton. So if you don't mind…" Raimundo jumped and surrounded himself with wind. He threw himself toward the newly dubbed Bear Claw, but she just grabbed him and threw him to the side. Omi, Ping Pong, and Kimiko went next, but they didn't have any better luck. Even Clay's strength was no match for the magically-powered Chihuahua's. Jack gaped at how easily she beat them.

"How's that for an evildoer, Jack?" Bear Claw asked.

"Good! That's very good!" Jack returned with more than a little nervousness in his voice.

Bear Claw flexed her new muscles. "Oh yeah, I could get used to this. Let's go." The beast turned and started walking away with most of the other villains following her.

"Hey, woah, woah, wait!" Jack protested. "Don't you wanna gloat first? Every good super villain knows you have to gloat before you leave-"

" _JACK!_ "

"Coming, ma'am." Jack sheepishly said as he followed the others. Wuya went last. "Maybe giving that dog the Tag of Cherokee was a good idea after all…" She said, looking actually sort of happy. The monks pulled themselves out of the dirt and stared after them.

"Did we just get beaten…by a dog?" Raimundo asked.

"She was packed with the powers of an _Ursus americanis_ , but yeah, pretty much." Clay answered.

"Okay, just checking."

* * *

Back in Jack's lab, Bear Claw was tearing Jack-Bot after Jack-Bot to pieces with the most minimal of effort. In seconds, the floor around her was littered with broken parts.

"Nice, but let's see if you can handle a heavyweight opponent." Jack said, pointing up to Cyclops. When nothing happened, Jack looked up to see the ancient monster picking his nose and not paying attention.

"Ahem!"

Cyclops pulled his finger out of the cave and looked down. Jack gestured to Bear Claw and Cyclops seemed to understand. He raised his foot and brought it down on her, but Bear Claw raised her much stronger arms and actually managed to use Cyclops' weight against him, using his foot to slam him into the ground on the other side. Jack and the others looked with wide eyes before clapping.

"Nice one, Bear Claw! Keep this up, and you'll reach the coveted title of 'Jack's favorite flunky' in no time!"

"Yeah yeah," Bear Claw mumbled before looking at her paws. "But why am I getting so much joy out of all this? Could Tubbimura's evil have rubbed off on me? Or was the urge to be evil always present, and I was previously just not intelligent enough to know it?"

Jack face-palmed. "Okay, rule number one, if you're gonna work for me, none of that cheesy psychological stuff! Around here, it's evil for evil's sake!"

"Sorry. I'm just about to earn my degree." The transformed dog said.

* * *

Sometime later, Dojo touched down in front of an old decrypt castle on a mountaintop. It was so high up that the clouds were practically under their feet.

"The Heartstring Harp should be somewhere in there." Dojo said as he shrunk down and pulled out the scroll. "It packs the atmosphere with any emotion you want. You want every moment to be happy or sad, than this is the doodad to do it."

"You think we'll run into…what's her name again?" Kimiko asked as they walked in.

"You mean that freaky dog? Have we even seen her before?" Raimundo asked back.

"Yeah, she's Tubbimura's pet. Jack was walkin' her when we went after the Manchurian Musca." Clay recalled.

"You remember that?!" Raimundo sad incredulously. The cowboy shrugged. "Ah'm good at rememberin' animals." The leader shook his head. "Well, I barely remember that little mutant, but let's keep our eyes peeled."

Following Dojo, the monks made it to a room high up in the castle. It looked to be some sort of music room, and amongst other instruments was a golden harp. White outlines of musical notes decorated it all over, and at the front was a small angel-like figure that consisted of a round bald head with no nose and a wide smiling mouth, two stumps for arms, and two tiny wings on its back.

"There it is!" Rai said. "Now let's grab it before-"

"Before _I_ show up?" A voice boomed.

A large hulking form burst through the wall, sending dust everywhere. Bear Claw walked forward, followed by Jack, Katnappe, and Tubbimura.

"Yeah, I kinda knew that was coming." Raimundo admitted. "But we're ready for you this time!" he said as the monks took fighting poses. "Sword of the Storm, Wind!" Raimundo swung his old weapon and sent powerful winds at their adversary. Bear Claw grunted but braced herself and held steady.

"Ruby of Ramses!" Clay called, holding out the jewel. The ornate rug that Bear Claw was standing on was enveloped in a red glow and pulled from under her, setting her off balance. Not by much, but enough.

"Tangle Web Comb, Fire!" The comb's teeth elongated and turned fiery orange. Kimiko wrapped them around Bear Claw's body and pulled, making her fall flat on her back. The bear/dog struggled but could not break free from the bonds.

"Now to put you in the bear house!" Omi jumped at the fallen foe. "Tsunami Strike-"

" _NO!_ " A large flabby body slammed into Omi's, knocking him away into a grand piano in the corner. Tubbimura then raised his katana and sliced through the Comb's bonds. "Muffin Face, are you hurt?" He asked compassionately as he stroked his transformed pet behind the ears. Bear Claw growled and sat up, rubbing the back of her head before slapping Tubbi's arm away.

"I do not need your help, you insecure overweight! And do not call me that anymore!" The animal then blinked. "Though I did not ask you to stop scratching." Tubbimura smiled under his mask as he continued. "Oh yeah, that's the spot…" The beast moaned with her tongue hanging out.

"I hate to break this up…" Jack interrupted, picking up the Heartstring Harp, "but we got the Wu, now let's get gone!"

"Alright…" Bear Claw relented as she stood up and followed Jack, Katnappe, and Tubbimura out. The other monks were too preoccupied with tending to Omi, who had gotten the wind knocked out of him, to stop them. Kimiko looked up.

"Well, that didn't go as planned."

Raimundo gave a frustrated sigh. "Nope."

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Later, back at the temple, the Xiaolin monks were doing crunches while hanging by their feet from Barkey's branches.

"That dog is as tough as mah first attempt at makin' steak…" Clay said.

"No kidding." Kimiko concurred from next to him.

"There must be something we can do." Ping Pong said.

"If only Master Fung was here…" Omi murmured.

"No arguments there." Dojo said, slithering by.

Raimundo furrowed his brow. He tried to think like their master for all their sakes. "Well, Fung-meister would probably tell us to think like our enemy, and, y'know, try to figure out a weakness or somethin'."

"So we should think of ways to get under a dog's skin." Ping Pong said, Raimundo nodding in affirmation.

"And how do we do that?" Kimiko asked.

Raimundo shrugged. "I dunno."

"Thank you, o great and wise leader." Kimiko said dryly, making Raimundo glare at her.

* * *

Soon enough, another Shen Gong Wu, the Shooter Shield, revealed itself. Dojo flew over the small city where it was. There was nothing special about it; it had grocery stores, a movie theatre, and a butcher shop, nothing out of the ordinary. Dojo touched down in front of a museum. "This is it, kids."

"Alright, let's go before Donut Brain gets here." Raimundo said as they paid their admission fee (keeping Dojo hidden) and went in.

There were admittedly some nice things on display, but the monks didn't have time to take it all in.

"There it is!" Ping Pong said, pointing to a row of ancient shields on display. One shield was brown and shaped like an upside-down pentagon. It had a light-brown edge around it with small curved branches sticking out from each edge. On the shield was a yellow molding of an octopus with green slanted eyes. There was a small yellow wave on each side and its mouth was a light-brown horn sticking out.

"Let's find a way to get it outta here-" Raimundo started but was cut off when a random tourist woman screamed. The tourists all fled the scene as a muscular anthropomorphic monster dog walked into the room.

"-before that." Raimundo said flatly.

"So we meet again, Xiaolin Warriors." Bear Claw said, putting her paws on her hips.

"Yup." Raimundo and the others stepped forward. "But you're not walking away with _this_ one!" he said.

"Oh really?" Bear Claw sneered before baring her namesakes. "Bring it."

"Sword of the Storm, Water!" Omi called out. As he swung the sword, a cyclone of water came out and hit Bear Claw. The beast just got on all fours and shook off the water before getting up and looking angry.

"Star Hanabi!" Ping Pong said, but the small fireballs didn't have much effect against the tough hide. Bear Claw bounded over and swiped the two round-headed ones off to the side. She looked up at the stand holding the Shooter Shield and jumped up to it.

"Oh no you don't! Wind!" Raimundo said, launching himself towards the shield, managing to land and put his hand on it. "Muffin Face, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"

"It's 'Bear Claw'!" his opponent growled.

"Whatever. I wager my Zena Dragonfly against your Bear Baton. The game is 'Escape the Burning City'. Whoever makes it over the city line first wins. Unless the fire is too scary for a widdle doggy." Raimundo cooed.

"Don't ever call me that again. I accept your challenge." Bear Claw said.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

The museum crumbled around them, splitting into pieces that flew into the sky, revealing the city around them. As promised, it was now on fire. Fortunately, all the people seemed to have disappeared. The non-contestants were placed on a square piece of the museum's tiled floor which was floating above the city. A white starting line appeared in front of Raimundo and Bear Claw.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" The two dashed off through the streets.

"Why did Raimundo pick this as the Showdown?" Kimiko wondered from her vantage point.

Ping Pong pulled down his hood so he could cough. "I do not know, but all this smoke is most unpleasant!"

Down below, Bear Claw had started running on all fours, easily passing Rai. He furrowed his brow before activating his wind power and zooming through the air to catch up with her. She saw him coming, sneered, and lashed out with a paw, swatting him back. Raimundo started running again, but not as fast as before.

"Come on, Rai!" Kimiko called down.

"You can do it, partner!" Clay concurred.

"Go, Muscle Mutt!" Jack exclaimed.

"They grow up so fast…" Tubbimura sniffled.

Bear Claw was several paces ahead of Rai, and she could see the finish line at the city's border up ahead. She stopped and looked behind her to see Raimundo well behind her.

"How's _that_ for a widdle doggy?" She asked to no one before starting towards her victory.

That is, until a smell in the air made her stop.

She looked at a nearby shop, the title, "MUDKA'S MEAT MARKET" in big white letters on the window. Like all the buildings, it was on fire, and the meat inside was being seared to perfection. Bear Claw started drooling like mad. She then composed herself.

"No, no, I have to focus! I am not just an animal, I am not just an…" She then noticed a sign on the window, which was advertising a sale on honey glazed ham.

That did it. Bear Claw rushed inside the building, not even caring about the flames, and began stuffing her face with as much meat as she could get her paws on.

"No, no no no no no no!" Jack wailed from his vantage point. "What are you doing, you stupid mutt?! Finish the race!" But the boy genius' cries fell on deaf ears.

Raimundo saw what had happened up ahead and grinned. "Zena Dragonfly!" Raimundo was covered in a green glow and zoomed past the butcher shop, crossing the finish line and winning the Showdown.

Everyone reappeared in the museum with Raimundo holding the Shooter Shield, Zena Dragonfly, and Bear Baton in his hands. Muffin Face found herself not only deprived of meat, but her bear-like body as well.

"Well this stinks." She said, her voice back to its normal high pitch.

"I'll say." Jack grumbled, folding his arms with Wuya doing the same next to him. "This is what I get for trusting a talking mutt…Tubbi, get Strudel Nose and let's go home."

Tubbimura picked up Muffin Face. "I don't care what the others say. You're perfect just the way you are! Yes you are, my little precious!" the fat ninja said while nuzzling the Chihuahua against his cheek. Muffin Face looked annoyed but didn't fight it as the villains left.

"Nice job, Rai." Kimiko complimented as Rai put the Wu inside the Cosmic Burlap.

"Even if you just got lucky at the last second." Dojo mumbled as he held out the magic bag.

"Oh that wasn't luck." Raimundo calmly said. "I noticed that meat place on our way in. Bear Baton or not, I knew that oversized mutt couldn't resist some charbroiled barbecue!"

Satisfied with Rai's quick thinking, the monks hightailed it out of the museum before the staff could see that one of their shields was missing. As they flew over the city, no signs of a fire present whatsoever, Omi thought of something and furrowed his brow. "If you were so certain of your victory…then why did you not make it a Shen Yi Bu Dare and reclaim the Tag of Cherokee?" Omi gave a small smug smile, believing that Raimundo had messed up. Raimundo's smile, however, didn't waver. "Remember when you lost the Ring of the Nine Dragons to Jack, and we decided that it may have not been so bad?"

Omi's smile disappeared. "Um, yes."

"Well, it's kinda like that." Raimundo finished, and after thinking it over for a second, the other monks smiled too.

Muffin Face shook her head. "I am actually rather glad to be rid of that Bear Baton. I went crazy with that thing; I now know my true calling." The dog cleared her throat. "But enough about me, let's begin discussing your issues, shall we? For starters, why are you so set on being evil? What's your motivation?"

Muffin Face kept asking questions from her point on Jack's working desk, with the boy genius looking unamused in his chair. Jack just groaned and put his head in his hands.


	18. S2E4: The Powers of Five

The princess practically dragged herself into her room.

"Goodness me! That public questioning was so taxing; all that waving while Mother did the talking, oh my poor hand!" The princess calmed herself and picked up her hand mirror. "Oh well, nothing a little makeup and a royal sleepover cannot fix."

Suddenly, her window shattered. The princess found herself face-to-face with several floating bronze robots.

"I am terribly sorry, the time for questions is over now, please get out of my room or I will call Mother on you!" said the very annoyed royal. The robots looked to each other for a second before rushing forward. One of the robots with a cone-shaped head grabbed her right arm, and one of the mushroom-headed ones with the Y-shaped visors grabbed her left.

The princess was carried out the newly-made hole in the tower of her castle home by the robots, her kicking and screaming all the way, only stopping when she heard maniacal laughter. A red-haired boy with pale skin in a downright _hideous_ black trench coat hovered up to her using a strange hovering device with what looked to be a floating purple mask beside him.

"Nice to meetcha, your _highness_." The boy said in a sarcastic tone.

"Wh-who are you? What do you want with me? If it is ransom you are after, there are plenty of bigger targets out there than our humble little kingdom!"

"I'm Jack Spicer, evil boy genius and Prince of Darkness! As for what I want, Miss Pretty in Pink…" The boy loomed over her with a wicked grin, making her cringe in fear.

"I want your mirror!"

The princess blinked. "Wh-what?"

"You know, that thing you're holding in your hand there? Sheesh, what are they teaching you crown-wearing airheads these days?"

"I-I'll have you know, I have only received the finest educations such as proper dinner etiquette and the wondrous art of fan-waving! And do not even get me started on my side-saddle lessons! And what do you even want with this old thing?" The princess looked at the mirror she still held in her hand. It was a black square thing with a cylindrical handle. The glass was made of four triangle shapes; two red ones on the top and bottom making a sort of hourglass shape and two blue ones filling the spaces on the left and right. The frame for the glass consisted of two yellow lines with black triangles securing the glass in place. The edges were white and the black had two white swirled lines that made a heart shape. The handle was black as well with a greenish-yellow base and swirls of the same color. "It is not even gold!"

"So ya won't mind handing it over? Or I could just let you down right now." The boy snickered as he gestured to the very large drop that awaited her.

Suddenly, a large fireball came out of nowhere and struck one of the robots surrounding them, blowing it up. The trench coat-wearing boy looked at it for a second before groaning, "Oh no…"

A large burst of water shot from the ground and destroyed another robot. The princess looked down and squinted. Were those _kids_?

"Shoku Astro, Wind!" One of them, a tall dark-haired Brazilian, soared up holding some sort of sword in his hand. He zoomed right up to the princess and skewered the two robots holding her, which of course caused her to fall, but the flying boy caught her and lowered her safely to the ground.

"You okay, Princess?" The boy asked.

"All of Generia is in your debt!" The princess shouted elatedly. The boy laughed. "Just doin' our job!" He then noticed a flaming robot crash-land dangerously close to the castle. The boy turned to his group of friends who were fighting off the remaining droids. "Hey Clay, how about some extra security?"

One of the kids, a big brawny boy with a cowboy hat, smiled and tipped said hat. "My pleasure, Rai. Shoku Jupiter, Earth!" The cowboy stomped the ground. The princess stumbled around a bit as the ground beneath her violently shook. "I say! Is there an earthquake?"

The boy laughed again. "No, ma'am, Clay just likes to throw his wait around." Suddenly, gigantic stalagmites rose from the ground in front of the castle, protecting it from the battle.

"Are you sure about this, Brother Omi?" The princess looked to see a small, round-headed, yellow-skinned boy with green glasses talking to a slightly bigger boy who looked the same, just without glasses. The bigger one put his hand on the little one's shoulder. "It is alright, Little Gecko. Just focus." The little one nodded and turned to a couple robots that had come down to their level. "Two-Ton Tunic, Wood!" A large metal armored torso appeared on his body. At first it seemed too heavy for him, but then it glowed and changed to what seemed to be very thick tree bark, some small branches even sprouting from it. This seemed to make the armor a lot lighter for the boy to handle. "Wolf Chomping Burger!" The boy cried as he leapt at the robots with his hands out and his left leg bent up. One of the mushroom-headed robots swung its sharp claws at him, but the thick bark he was wearing deflected them before the boy smashed them to pieces.

"Anyway, I know we just saved you and all, but that girly boy wanted your mirror for a reason." The Brazilian started again. "Long story short, it's magic, so ya think we could hold on to it for now?"

"If it could be used for the purposes of that horribly-dressed boy, then by all means!" The princess eagerly handed her mirror to the boy, who, until that point had been holding her bridal-style, snatched it and dropped her to the ground. He turned to the others. "Hey guys, I got the Hansu Mirror! Let's blow this popsicle stand...It's an expression, Omi!" The other kids ran up to him with the last of the robots following. From under the cowboy's hat crawled a green snakelike creature with arms. As soon as he touched the ground, it grew to a gargantuan size until its body was about forty feet long. Sending one last massive burst of wind at the robots, the Brazilian jumped on its back followed by the others, the cowboy stomping the ground one last time and making the massive stalagmites around the castle slowly crumble. The strange reptile flew into the air carrying the even stranger kids until they were out of sight just as the last of the rocky barrier was downed. Some royal guards ran over the downed princess. "Your highness, are you all right?"

"Yes, I…I think so…" The royal shook her head. "I need an extra hour in my nightly fawning over possible suitors."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

As the princess was led back into her castle, one of Chase Young's crows was perched in a tree, having relayed the whole fight scene to his master.

"Hmm…" The Heylin warlord said as he looked over the footage. "It seems the monks have truly become familiar with their elements…perhaps a little _too_ familiar."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shadow asked.

"Sometimes, one is not able to fight using what they know. Sometimes, one must…improvise. It seems the monks have yet to learn that."

"So?" Shadow asked, crossing her arms.

" _So_ , I have another assignment for you, Shadow. You will sneak into the temple before the nightly barrier rises and use a specific Shen Gong Wu in our possession to teach the monks a little lesson about adaptability."

"Alright, it's been a while since I've had any fun with those monks. Which Wu am I using?"

* * *

Nighttime fell at the temple. Before going to sleep every night, Barkey LeBois would activate the force field that he himself controlled to protect any intruders from entering the temple while they were asleep.

However, Shadow had snuck in just before the shield went up. After impatiently waiting for all her enemies to hit the hay, she crept through the hallways until finally reaching Raimundo's room. The leader was curled up in his new bed. As Shadow loomed over him, he started fidgeting, making her flinch.

"By day, Xiaolin Warrior…by night, wave warrior…Raimundo…he will blow you away…" Rai snored before quieting down about his adventures in Slumber Land. Shadow rolled her eyes and pulled a Shen Gong Wu out of her hammerspace. She snickered before whispering the activation phrase.

"Sun Chi Lantern."

* * *

The next morning, Raimundo was rudely awoken by a splash of water. "Wipeout! Huh? Ugh, Omi, you could have at least given me enough time to win the surf competition…"

"Leader Raimundo, something is very wrong!"

"Ping Pong?" Okay, now Raimundo was confused. The spectacled boy was already in his robes and was looking at Raimundo with wide eyes. Furthermore, he didn't seem to be holding a container or the Orb of Torpedo, so where exactly had that water come from?

"Ping Pong, what's wrong?"

"Something is wrong with my Wood powers!"

"What is it?"

"They are not Wood anymore!"

"Okay, little dude, you aren't making any sense, so how about we just…"

"Water!" Ping Pong yelled. Suddenly, a small splash of water flew from his hand and soaked Raimundo again. His wide eyes could clearly be seen amongst his dripping hair.

"Okay, yeah, that's pretty screwy."

A short while later, Raimundo and the other monks were out in the training area. All of them had quickly made a pretty odd discovery.

"How could all of our elements have just _switched_?" Raimundo wondered out loud. "This doesn't make any sense!"

"You're telling me!" Kimiko said, taking a small step forward and making the ground shake. "Oops."

"This whole thing's more prickly than a barrel o' fishhooks!" Clay said, sweeping his hand forward and making a strong breeze blow.

"I knew I was in heat before, but this is ridiculous!" Omi said as he shot a fireball from his hand.

"Okay, guys, just calm down!" Raimundo said, holding his hands out in a calming gesture. "We can figure out what happened to our elements, but first, we gotta make sure we don't level the whole mountain by mistake!"

"Easy for you to say! You got Ping Pong's powers, AKA the lighter load!" Kimiko said as she again caused a small tremor.

"You say that like it's a good thing!" Rai responded. "I'm not even a Shoku Warrior anymore!" Rai pretended not to notice Omi's smirk.

Dojo, from where he was quietly cowering while the monks tried to get used to their new powers, raised a claw. "Actually, you're still a Shoku Warrior, Rai. Sure, your powers are a big part of it, but in the end your rank is all you."

Omi held up a finger. "Regardless, I propose that Raimundo should take a break, at least until we learn how to get our powers back in order, though I must say, I am mastering this fire quite-" At the word, another fireball shot out of his hand and just barely missed Dojo. The reptile then noticed his tail smoking, which he quickly blew out. "My tail disagrees."

"How did this even happen in the first place?" Kimiko questioned out loud.

"Yeah, Dojo, what's the deal on this here rodeo?" Clay concurred.

Dojo shrugged. "Beats me! The only thing that could possibly do something like this is the Sun Chi Lantern, but that's one of the Wu in the hands of-" Dojo stopped.

"Chase Young." everyone said simultaneously.

"This must be another one of his stupid 'tests'." Kimiko grumbled.

"Ha! A setback this may be, but like Dojo said, it is the Dragon that makes the element, not the element that makes the Dragon!" Omi said. "Let us show him how truly skilled we are!"

"Oui oui, Brother Omi!" Ping Pong agreed. "I believe I am getting the hang of your element! *Ahem* Water!"

A giant wave washed over everyone, soaking them.

"Iiii'm thinkin' you need a little more practice." Dojo said with a raised finger.

The others all reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Jack, Wuya, Katnappe, and Cyclops had gone over to Tubbimura's house at the ninja's invitation. Upon arriving, Jack was instantly jealous. The place was _huge_! What did he even need trade for?

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Tubbimura said as he walked up to a giant billboard depicting a devil-like figure lying on a psychiatrist couch while another devil sat down next to him with a notepad. There was also a red ribbon in front of it. "My darling Muffin Face is proud to officially announce…" He gestured to the dog, who was standing on her hind legs with a large pair of scissors in her paws. At Tubbi's cue, Muffin Face snipped the ribbon. "The official opening of the Villains' Psychiatric Ward!" The talking canine announced. Tubbimura was the only one clapping. Cyclops had been about to join, but had clammed up with a glare from Jack.

"So…you turned your house into a self-help joint." Katnappe finally said.

"Yes." Muffin Face answered.

"…Wow."

"Hey, I believe I can make a difference!" Muffin Face protested. "A lot of criminals need professional help of some sort."

"We ain't criminals, we're supervillains!" Jack said. "We don't need all this sappy-wappy stuff!"

"If my Muffin Face believes she can do this, than she can!" Tubbimura said. "Just you wait, soon customers will be lining up!"

"I wish you luck with that."

Everyone turned toward the new voice and almost everyone's eyes widened; Muffin Face was the exception. "I am sorry, we are not open at the moment. If you would like to schedule an appointment…" Tubbimura picked her up and put his hand over her mouth. "Don't you know who that is?! That's Chase Young!" The chubby ninja whispered. Muffin Face's ears drooped.

"As much as I'd love to hear about your latest idiotic antics, I have a proposition for all of you." Chase said as he walked forward.

"Of course, Chase! Anything!" Jack said, getting on his knees.

"I have recently…compromised the monks in their ability to fight. As much as I hate to say it, you lot can help me with that." Chase ignored Jack's beam. "I can sense the activation of more than one Shen Gong Wu, and I want you and the others to be there to really put them to the test. In their current states, even _you_ can be capable of that much. And here, have some Wu to wager in the inevitable Showdowns. You will find that they will come in handy." Chase said as he threw a Wu to everyone (including Muffin Face). Jack's he just dropped.

"You got it, Chase!" Jack said, grabbing his Wu and getting up. "Don't worry, we'll do our best!"

"That's what worries me." Chase said as he teleported away.

Back at the Xiaolin Temple, things weren't going much better than they were before. A lot of the place was singed from Omi's newfound fire, everything was a mess from Clay's newfound wind, and everyone was soaked and shaken up from Ping Pong and Kimiko's water and earth, respectively.

"Now Kimiko, try not to let it out full force. Don't use all yer muscles at once." Clay tried to coach Kimiko.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't _have_ much muscle to use, Clay!" Kimiko protested. "There's a bit of a difference between you and me!" Kimiko instinctively stomped her foot, causing yet another tremor.

Nearby, Omi was doing the same thing with Ping Pong. "Let the water flow through you. It is part of you. It will flow through your veins like blood, yet feel as soothing as a bath."

"I think I have it now, Brother Omi." Ping Pong thrust his arms forward.

"Ping Pong, wait-"

" _Water!_ "

Omi was once again drenched and thrown by the tidal wave conjured from Ping Pong's hands.

"That was _not_ as soothing as a bath!" Omi frustratingly pointed out.

"Apologies, Brother Omi. I have not learned as much about flowing as you have." Ping Pong said.

"You cannot _learn_ about it, you must feel it! That is the whole point!" Omi almost shouted. "Oh forget it! My element is clearly too advanced for you to handle!" Ping Pong hung his head at that statement.

"Well, I think there's been some improvement… _not_." Raimundo said as he sat in the corner, not being able to do much.

"Face it, partners, we're as mismatched as a pig in a tux!" Clay said.

Suddenly, Dojo started spazzing out. "Whoo! Shen Gong Wu off the port bow!"

Raimundo got up. "Well, at least we can get a Wu-"

"Wait…off the starboard bow too!" Dojo said, making everybody stop. "And stern! And…poop deck!" Dojo was all tied up in knots now. "It's another SGW hot trick!"

" _Four_ Wu? Great, 'cause that worked out _so_ well last time…" Kimiko grumbled.

"We'll have to split up again. I don't like it either, but we'll have a better chance to get them all. We can't let the Heylin win when we're like this!" Raimundo said. The others all agreed. They hopped on Dojo and took off.

* * *

"Oooohhh! Yeees! Four Wu have revealed themselves!" Wuya said.

"Awesome! Let's use these Wu Chase gave us and kick some monk butt!" Jack said as he led the team toward his hover jet.

"But I haven't even showed you the inside yet…" Muffin Face complained. It fell on deaf ears however, so she just sighed and followed them.

Dojo flew the monks to the location of the first Wu: a small jungle. "The first Wu is called the Gibbon Staff. It allows its holder to quickly swing across vines. It's also handy if you're lousy at monkey bars."

"I shall claim this Wu!" Omi proclaimed as he leapt down into the green.

"Be careful, Omi! Try not to burn the place down!" Kimiko called after him as Dojo flew off.

"What's next, Dojo?" Raimundo asked as he pulled out the scroll.

"The Kumi Crystal." Dojo answered. "With this puppy, you can stand on clouds." Dojo landed on the side of a freeway covered in fog.

"I got this one." Raimundo said, jumping off. He didn't care if he didn't have his powers anymore; he needed to feel some form of air around him.

After being assured that their leader would be alright, Dojo carried the remaining three monks to the next spot. It was a kind of strange marsh that, for whatever reason, had fire shooting out of the ground at random intervals.

"The Amora Charm rejuvenates its user, making them feel one hundred years younger!" Dojo said.

"That would be quite a bit past the day I was born, but whatever. I'll still get it." Kimiko said as she dismounted and waved good-bye to her friends.

Finally, Dojo flew to the last location: a sunny beach. "Now _this_ is more like it!" The dragon said. "Get ready to slather some lotion on my back!"

"Maybe later, lil' buddy. Just gimme the 411 on the Wu and get Ping Pong outta here, okay?" Clay asked as he stepped down.

"Ngh, fine." Dojo said as Ping Pong opened the scroll one last time. "The last Wu is called the Dolphin Disk. It makes you swim like, um, a dolphin. Kinda obvious."

"Um, Dojo," Ping Pong interrupted. "Since I am now the one with powers over water, maybe I should look for this Wu?"

"Better not, lil' pard. I got a bad feelin' about this. You better stick with Dojo where it's safe. I'll see ya when I find it." Clay said as he walked away to look for the Wu.

"Don't look so down, kid." Dojo said after seeing Ping Pong's head droop. "While we're waiting, I can tell you how my cousin Nessie got a loch named after her!"

Ping Pong looked up and smiled. "Okay, Dojo." He said as the dragon took to the skies once more.

Omi walked through the jungle, looking high and low for the Wu. Finally, he spotted it in the notch of a tree. It was a wooden staff striped yellow and brown with a same-colored gibbon head with blue gemstone eyes. Two yellow hands sprouted from the gibbon's head.

"It may look like a walking stick, which I have no need for, but nevertheless, this Wu is mine!" Omi said to no one as he started climbing the tree. He then had to brace himself as a strong wind came from out of nowhere; a wind caused by Jack's Heli-Bot. "Not so fast, Cheeseball! This Wu is monkey-related, so by definition, it's _mine!_ " Omi gritted his teeth and jumped to the Staff as he and Jack started playing tug-of-war with it.

* * *

Raimundo walked across the freeway, watching for any sign of the Wu. For a while, the only lights were the headlights of passing cars, but soon he spotted a speck of green light a little ways away. After making sure the coast was clear, Raimundo jaywalked to a patch of green in-between streets, where he could see his prize partly buried in the ground. It was a green diamond-shaped gem with two sand-colored wing-shaped pieces of metal attached to the top. He smiled as he walked toward it. "Come to Papa!" He said and was reaching down for it when a small white Chihuahua walked up and stared at him before digging up the rest of the Kumi Crystal, picking it up in its mouth, and walking away.

"Hey, come back here!" Rai shouted as he jogged after the dog. The animal stopped and turned around.

"It's okay, little guy, I won't hurt you. Just give me that thing and I'll be on my way." Rai said while speaking as gently as possible. The dog narrowed its eyes at him and dropped the Crystal. "Who are you calling a guy?" It demanded. Raimundo was only surprised for a second before noticing the Tag of Cherokee around its neck. A large form then lumbered up and picked up the Crystal. "We meet again, Dragon of the Wind." Tubbimura greeted.

Raimundo grumbled under his breath. With Ping Pong's underdeveloped Wood powers, he didn't have many aces up his sleeve against the overweight ninja. Except of course his acrobat skills. Raimundo backed up, then ran forward and jumped high into the air, doing a front flip into the air, getting both of his enemies' attention before coming down hard on Tubbimura, knocking him onto his back and the Wu out of his hand. Raimundo bounced off his flab like a trampoline and started after the Wu, which had bounced into the street. Raimundo dodged the coming cars as he followed it, Tubbimura and Muffin Face doing the same behind him but having more close calls. Finally, the Kumi Crystal clattered to the side of the road, where the three jumped on top of each other to get it.

* * *

Kimiko made her way through the bog while avoiding the flames shooting out of the ground. Ground that was getting very unpleasant to walk on. "Come on, come on, where is this thing?" Kimiko grumbled before something darted by her. She quickly turned her head to look for the source only to see nothing. She started again when she heard more rustling. She took a pose. "Alright, whoever or whatever you are, I don't think you know who you're messing with!"

"On the contrary," a sultry voice responded. "I know purrrr-fectly well." A black humanoid shape dropped in front of her. "Might as well call it quits now." Katnappe said.

"Not today, Kat Litter!" Kimiko responded before jumping at the other girl with a kick. The criminal just blocked it with her claws. The two traded blows for a while, chasing each other through the marsh when Kimiko tripped over something. She picked herself up and looked back to see a pink heart-shaped gemstone wedged into the ground. Not believing her luck, she went to pick up the Amora Charm when it was blasted out of the ground by a fire stream and into the air. Katnappe then pushed Kimiko out of the way before going off to get it herself. Another fire stream gave the Charm another push into the air, and then once again as the Xiaolin and Heylin ran in circles trying to catch it. Finally, the Shen Gong Wu landed on a patch of solid ground. Kimiko ran over to get it, but Katnappe darted up from the other side and snatched it. "Sorry, Kimiko. Better luck next time." The cat-themed thief said while tossing it in the air. Kimiko gritted her teeth. She would _not_ lose, especially not to her. Without warning, she tackled Katnappe to the ground and grabbed at the Wu in her paw.

* * *

Clay had walked across a bit of beach, but there was no sign of the Dolphin Disk. Figuring there was only one other place it could be, the cowboy rolled up his sleeves and waded into the water. Suddenly, he heard a woman crying for help. Further out, he could see a young blonde woman splashing about. Clay immediately got to work and swam over to her, scooping her up and began swimming back towards shore.

"Ya'll should be more careful, ma'am." Clay said with concern in his voice. "The ocean can be a dangerous place if ya'll don't know the way."

The girl panted before speaking. "I'll keep that in mind…Thanks for saving me, Clay."

"Aw, shucks, it was my-" Clay stopped. "Wait, how did ya know my-" He saw the slit in the girl's pupils too late. She grabbed his hat and pushed herself off of him, diving into the sea. Clay readjusted his hat and saw a smear of black creping across the water. "Now see here, Shadow," he began, "Chase Young's apprentice or not, I don't wanna fight a lady, so if we could just…"

"Wimp." Shadow's voice rang out as the blue-haired villainess jumped out of the water and kicked Clay on his back. Clay sputtered and got himself back up when the same thing happened again. Clay tumbled over in the water when his eye spotted something sticking out of the sandy floor: a small disk shaped like two dolphins against each other in a mirror image. On one side, one dolphin was brown and the other was yellow with green gemstone eyes. On the other side, the dolphins were gray and steel blue and lacking gemstone eyes. Trying to coordinate himself underwater, Clay reached out and grabbed his prize. He had come up for air when Shadow kicked the Disk out of his grasp and onto the shore. Sparing only a quick glance at each other, the two started towards it, Clay doing expert strokes and Shadow gliding across the water as pure dark essence. The two reached the shore and grabbed hold of the Dolphin Disk, making it glow.

* * *

Back with Omi and Jack, the Gibbon Staff also started to glow. "Jack Spicer, I challenge you…"

"…To a two-on-one Showdown Trio." Raimundo said as he held onto one side of the Kumi Crystal, Tummibura gripped the other, and Muffin Face clamped onto the top with her teeth.

"I accept." Katnappe agreed, sneering at Kimiko. She reached into her hammerspace. "And I'll wager this…"

"…Wushu Helmet," Shadow said, holding up the stolen Shen Gong Wu.

"The game is, 'Vine Swinging'! Whichever one of us catches up with the Gibbon Staff first wins." Omi decided. "Let's go,"

"XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!" Nine voices shouted at four different locations across the world at the same time.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Omi and Jack suddenly found themselves standing on a branch in an endless forest filled with vines. Ahead of them, the Gibbon Staff had come to life, and was swinging across the vines with the two hands sprouting from its top.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!" Omi and Jack said as they started swinging after it. Unfortunately for Omi, Jack had spent so much time as a monkey that he quickly made the lead. Omi struggled to keep up, but Jack just looked behind him and laughed. "You're in _my_ element now, Chrome Dome! And speaking of elements, time to bring out the little gift Chase gave me." Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out the Wu Chase gave him, the one that he had wagered. "Orb of Tornami!"

Water gushed at Omi. He tried to control it out of instinct, but remembered he couldn't when he was hit and knocked off the vine. He grabbed another one before he could take the seemingly infinite plunge to the forest floor below. After Omi had secured his grip, he pulled out his own Wu.

"Cloth of the Jungle!" With the loincloth on over his normal clothes, his speed swinging through the vines doubled. Jack noticed and shot at him again. Omi jumped to another vine out of the way, but as it turned out, Chase had endowed Heylin power into the Orb. The stream of water came back around and hit him. Omi sputtered before glaring at Jack hatefully.

* * *

On Raimundo's side of the playing field, the freeway had been turned into a mountain range of asphalt with the yellow lines still up and down it. Raimundo, Tubbimura, and Muffin Face were all running across the mountains to reach the Kumi Crystal, which was glowing on one in the distance. Muffin Face grinned before strapping on the Wu Chase had let her use. "Fancy Feet!" She barked. Suddenly on two legs, Muffin Face ran at an incredible speed, literally running circles around Raimundo. The Heylin magic within the artifact made Muffin Face leave green flames with every step, forming a ring of green fire around the Xiaolin leader. As Raimundo was forced to stop, a large shadow flew over him. It was Tubbimura with the Longi Kite. Raimundo watched the ninja fly overhead before pulling his wagered Wu, the Tangle Web Comb, from his pocket. Seeing no way it could help surrounded by fire, Raimundo groaned.

* * *

Meanwhile, Katnappe and Kimiko were traversing through a large, people-sized underground tunnel in search of the Amora Charm. Not only was the place impossible to navigate, streams of fire shot through the walls. Kimiko ducked under one just in time. "What I wouldn't give to have my powers back…" She grumbled, picturing how she would redirect the fire and make it burn up Katnappe's costume. "Oh well…" She took out the Wu she had put on the line. "Black Beetle!" The body armor protected her from the heat, which was a relief, but as she soon found out, it was a little hard to run in.

A fact Katnappe soon noticed. "Slowed down, eh? Well, here's something else to catnip you in the bud. Helmet of Jong!" Katnappe threw her Wu towards Kimiko, the Heylin energy acting on the way. Green fire sprouted around the Helmet and a thin sheet of metal appeared on the bottom to make a mouth (in other words, yes, it had become Mala Mala Jong's head). Kimiko stopped and looked down at her new floating adversary.

"Cat-ch me if you can!" The thief said as she darted down the tunnel.

"Did I mention your puns are _really_ corny?!" Kimiko shouted down the tunnel as the floating demon head bared down on her.

* * *

On the beach, the sandy shore had turned into a massive sand castle, and Clay and Shadow were running through solid sand staircases to reach the top of the tallest tower, in which the Dolphin Disk was embedded.

The place was like one big MC Escher painting made out of sand as Clay and Shadow continued to climb. The latter, who was in the lead, looked down at the former and smiled wickedly.

"I bet if you still had your Earth powers, controlling this sand would be no problem! It _is_ just crushed rocks, after all! Like you soon will be after I kick your butt!"

Clay was almost panting, but he didn't let his weakness show. "We figured this power-switchin' thing was somethin' you'd pull! But even if I did still have my powers, if I used 'em I might bring this whole place down! And I couldn't do that to a lady!"

"Loser! Speaking of bringin' the place down…" Shadow pulled out the Wushu Helmet and placed it on her head. Yelling its name, she rammed her head into the wall, the Heylin enchantment causing green shockwaves to pulse out and make the sand wall crumble. Shadow, not hurt at all, quickly jumped to the safety of another platform and laughed evilly as Clay struggled to keep his footing. He ended up having to jump down to avoid falling with the sand staircase he had been standing on. He looked up at Shadow, who had gotten way ahead of him.

* * *

In his lair, Chase Young was watching all of this through his Heylin Eyeball. He watched Omi, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Clay struggle without their powers. The Eyeball then changed to Ping Pong riding on Dojo, who was just flying around aimlessly. Chase showed a small smirk as he clenched his fist.

"And that's how my cousin got to be such a legend among-" Dojo was interrupted by violently shuddering in midair. Ping Pong, after struggling to hold on, asked Dojo if he was alright once it had calmed down.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. But another Wu just revealed itself!" Dojo exclaimed. Ping Pong, who had been given the scroll, opened it up. "It's the Preying Monster. It turns its user into a mantis-like creature." Dojo explained.

"So it is like the Manchurian Musca, except with praying mantises instead of flies."

"Pretty much."

"Well, no time to lose! Let us go get it! Vamos!"

"Okay, okay…" Dojo grumbled. He would have preferred to have one of the others with them, but as they said: Wu waited for no one.

Dojo touched down in a small plain meadow, bare except for forest to the left, a small pond to the right, and a large rock on the far side. It was from this rock which a small dark-tan metal figurine sprouted. It resembled the top half of a praying mantis with blue eyes and black hinges in its 'forelegs'.

"Well, this should be easy." Ping Pong said as he happily hurried over to the Shen Gong Wu. Before he got to it, loud stomping was then heard as Cyclops lumbered up to the small boy.

"Shouldn't have said that, kid." Dojo said dejectedly.

Not wasting any time, Ping Pong rushed up to the rock with Cyclops only needing to take a few steps. They both gripped the Preying Monster, causing it to emit a yellow glow.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Ping Pong stated. Cyclops grunted before holding out the Lotus Twister as his wager. Unfortunately, Ping Pong didn't know what that was.

"I wager your…whatever that is against my…" As Ping Pong felt inside his pocket for a Wu to wager, the light emanating from the Preying Monster changed from yellow to green. Suddenly, the Wu started shaking, causing both would-be Showdowners to let go in confusion. The rock it was in burst apart as the Wu started growing, forming the second half of its insect body as it was doing so. In seconds, a metal praying mantis that was as tall as Cyclops' waist stood before them.

"Uuummm…" Ping Pong said, unsure how to react. "…Bonjour?" The Praying Monster said nothing and swung one of its forelegs at Ping Pong, knocking him off his feet. Wings then sprouted from its back and it flew up to Cyclops. The beast tried swatting at it like a normal bug, but when it landed on his face, he accidentally swatted himself, causing him to fall over. He got up sniffling. After the metal insect poked him in the eye with its foreleg, he ran away crying, leaving the Lotus Twister on the ground.

Ping Pong gulped as the monster loomed over him.

* * *

Jack was quickly catching up to the Gibbon Staff with Omi falling further and further behind. Every time he would get close, Jack would just use the Orb of Tornami to push him back. Omi gritted his teeth.

"Come on, Omi, you've controlled all the elements before. Just fire shouldn't be a problem." Omi focused a little more before speaking.

"FIRE!"

Omi's body became covered in flames. Omi looked over himself for a second before yelling in panic. He began quickly jumping from vine to vine, each one crumbling to ash as his burning hands touched them. In a second, he was baring down on Jack, who yelped and tried to use the Orb again. However, the water turned to steam the second it touched Omi, who touched his vine as he continued forward. Jack quickly let go of his crumbling vine and jumped to another one. Unfortunately, that vine was actually a hanging snake, and once Jack noticed this, he let go with a scream and plummeted into the magic abyss below. As for Omi, he barely even noticed when he caught the Gibbon Staff in his hand, ending the Showdown.

When everything turned back to normal, Omi continued to run in circles in panic before realizing he wasn't on fire anymore. He then calmed down and happily walked away with not only the Gibbon Staff, but his old Orb of Tornami back again, the Heylin enhancement gone. Jack groaned as he tried to pull himself out of the mud, but the snake slithered up to him and he quickly bolted.

* * *

Raimundo was still debating how to escape the ring of fire that Muffin Face had him trapped in.

' _Oh who am I kidding. I can't do this! Some leader, one demotion from Shoku Warrior and I'm helpless!'_

' _Sure, your powers are a big part of it, but in the end your rank is all you.'_

Remembering what Dojo said gave Rai a burst of confidence. He looked up at Tubbimura's flying form and got an idea.

' _I might not be able to control Wood like I could control Wind, but I can still do this!'_

"Tangle Web Comb, Wood!" The Shen Gong Wu's teeth turned dark brown and became hard and firm; enough to make them fireproof, at least for a bit. Raimundo whipped them forward into the fire ring, where they snagged Muffin Face. Raimundo then threw the startled Chihuahua up like a slingshot towards Tubbimura. Dog met man, and the two went down. The Heylin magic endowed in the Longi Kite backfired, as after the crash (that left Tubbimura smooshing Muffin Face under his body), it detached from Tubbimura and started flying aimlessly. Raimundo quickly ran past the dazed pair, jumped, and grabbed the Kite. The dragon-shaped object let out a little screech, but flew Rai where he wanted to go: straight to the Kumi Crystal. The Xiaolin leader let go and picked up the Crystal, ending the Showdown.

After the mountains turned back into road, Rai used the now-purified Kite to fly away with the Comb, Crystal, and also-purified Fancy Feet in his hands. Meanwhile, the cars on the freeway were honking at a new flabby roadblock.

* * *

Kimiko was doing her best to fend off Mala Mala Jong's decapitated head. The Black Beetle was doing its job protecting Kimiko from both the orange fire from the walls and the green fire from the inspirited Helmet of Jong, but the girl could barely move. After a moment, Kimiko got an idea. "Black Beetle…Earth!" Kimiko grunted. The black metal covering her turned into dusty brown rock.

' _Hopefully this Wu protects against more than just heat.'_ She thought to herself before saying the next part.

"EARTH!" Kimiko cried as she punched the wall. Cracks immediately sprouted all over the place. The Helmet of Jong looked around for a bit worried before rocks rained down, completely burying the combatants. After a second, Kimiko's rock/armor covered hand burst out of the pile of rocks and she pulled herself out of it. She looked forward with surprise to see that the whole tunnel was trashed.

"Guess I don't know my own strength. Geez, it's a wonder Clay doesn't bring the temple down on top of us." Feeling her appreciation for her cowboy friend go up a bit, Kimiko made her way through the tunnel. Seeing how the Showdown was still in effect, she could guess that Katnappe hadn't won yet.

"Now where did that wet hairball go?" Kimiko said to herself. Just then, she heard grunting. She immediately followed it until she found Katnappe, half-buried under another pile of rocks. She was reaching out for the Amora Charm, lying on the floor a few feet away, but couldn't quite reach it. Kimiko smirked under her armor before walking up to her. "Need some help, Kat Litter?"

Katnappe hissed in response.

"Well, here ya go." Kimiko picked it up and began to hold it out to her. "Oh, wait, that's right. Me picking it up means I win. Silly me."

In a flash, Kimiko and Katnappe were back in the marsh, the former holding the Black Beetle, Helmet of Jong, and Amora Charm. "Well, see ya next time, you tackily-dressed weirdo!" Kimiko said as she sprinted off.

"Tacky?! Weirdo?!" Katnappe said, appalled. "Just you wait. I'll show you who's the weirdo, you-" Fire started sprouting from the ground again, causing Katnappe to yowl like a cat and dart away on all fours.

* * *

Clay was still running up staircases and across platforms trying to catch up to Shadow. The villainess was nearly at the top now and laughed at Clay's significantly lower amount of progress. "See ya at the top, cowboy! Or not!" Shadow laughed again. Clay stood there, fuming.

' _Now how am I gonna get up there and get Shadow down here. Even without my Earth powers, this thing ain't very solid. Heck, a strong breeze could probably-'_

' _Oh, duh.'_

Clay took a second to aim before he thrust his arms up. "WIND!"

A burst of air flew from his body and up past Shadow. The wind burst hit the upper wall, making a good-sized chunk of sand fly apart. The structure rumbled. Shadow struggled to keep her footing. "Hey! Wh-what are you doing? You wanna bury us both?!"

Clay tipped his hat. "No, that would be hurtin' ya. But that's different than makin' ya come down to Earth. Wind!" Clay tore apart more of the castle around them. Eventually, the roof caved in. The platform Shadow was on crumbled, making her fall down with a wail. Clay jumped in the air and caught her. The villainess folded her arms while in Clay's as they fell. "Nice going, genius. What now?"

Clay smiled and looked up. Sure enough, the Dolphin Disk had come loose and was falling down with the rest of the sand. Clay reached into his pocket and finally pulled out the Wu he had brought into the Showdown.

"Lasso Boa Boa!" Clay lassoed the disk and with a yank brought it into his hand. He grinned at Shadow, who just harrumphed and didn't even react as they neared the ground. With a flash, they were both on their feet again and Clay was holding the Wu he had won.

"Maybe we could do this again some time, huh Miss?"

"Bite me." Was all Shadow said before turning incorporeal and slithering away.

Clay just shrugged before heading to meet up with his friends.

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Ping Pong zipped circles around the giant Preying Monster as he desperately tried to avoid its attacks. After a few moments, he jumped at it. "Praying Mantis Striking Bully!"

 _CLANG!_

Ping Pong clutched his throbbing hand as he remembered that this behemoth was made of metal, and much stronger metal than Jack-Bots at that. Stopped in his tracks for a second, Ping Pong noticed the dropped Lotus Twister. He picked it up and held it up. "Stay back, or I will use…this…Wu…" Ping Pong trailed off, not knowing what it was called or what it did. As the Preying Monster lifted up its forelegs again, Ping Pong quickly zipped under its body back to where Dojo was cowering behind a rock.

"Pardon me, Dojo. This might not seem like the most opportune time, but would you mind giving me a brief lesson on this Wu?"

Dojo peeked at it. "That's the Lotus Twister. It makes your body all stretchy and rubbery. Don't see how that's gonna help here. Which Wu did you bring?"

Ping Pong reached into his pocket and felt around. "I have the Sword of the Storm, the Cannon de Lopez, and-ooh!" Ping Pong pulled out his last Wu.

Dojo's eyes lit up. "The Rio Reverso! That should do it! One good blast, and this bug's back to being a bauble!" Dojo peeked around the rock; the Praying Monster had lost track of its victims and was looking around for them. "Getting close enough to blast it, though, that's the hard part."

Ping Pong thought for a moment before his eyes landed on the small pond in the area. He smiled. "I might have the solution for that!"

"What are you-" Dojo followed Ping Pong's gaze and pieced together his plan. "Oh no, kid, you can't be serious! Remember what happened last time?"

"If I do not, who knows what kind of damage that monster will cause! Don't worry, Dojo. I can handle this." Patting the dragon on the head, Ping Pong raced over to the giant insect. "Hey, you!"

The bug turned to look down at him. "You want me, come and get me!" Ping Pong cried, hopping around a bit before zipping away again. The Praying Monster growled before following after him. Ping Pong stopped at the edge of the pool and turned to face his adversary. The bug raised its forelegs.

' _Let the water flow through you. It is part of you._ ' Ping Pong did his best to follow Omi's advice and feel the water he was about to control.

"I will not allow you to hurt my friends!" Ping Pong said before raising his arms. "Water!" The surface of the pond rippled before the whole thing shot out like a liquid cannonball. The center smacked the Monster in the face.

"Whoo, yeah, alright Ping Pong!" Dojo cheered before a shadow covered him. He looked up to see the water that had not hit the Mantis was heading straight at him. His eyes grew as big as his head. "Uh oh." He said before the water fell down and soaked him as well.

The Praying Monster sputtered from its unexpected shower, which was just what Ping Pong needed. He held out his newest Wu. "Lotus Twister!" He shouted. Immediately, the arm holding the Twister elongated. After almost falling over from the imbalance, Ping Pong shot his arm up and wrapped it around the rogue Wu's neck. Ping Pong then made his arm shorten, bringing him up to the Monster's head. With his other arm, he pulled out his other Wu.

"Rio Reverso!" Black energy shot from the crystal and shot the Preying Monster head-on, instantly transforming it back to its normal, small, dormant state. Ping Pong landed on the ground and picked up the Wu triumphantly. "I give magnificent showers!" He cried.

"Agreed…"

Ping Pong looked to where Dojo was slithering out from his hiding place and chuckled with embarrassment. "Oh, sorry, Dojo. I guess Brother Omi's Shoku Water powers are still too much for me."

"Yeah, well, that's why you're still an Apprentice." Dojo said as he shook the water off of himself. "At least you got that crazy bug back under control." He said with a smile, which Ping Pong immediately returned.

"Hey, Ping Pong!" Raimundo's voice called out. Ping Pong and Dojo turned to see the four Shoku Warriors walk up, all holding the new Wu they had gone after.

"Hello, my friends. I see you have all been successful as well."

"Indeed, little gecko. Turns out I am just as amazing with fire as I am with water!" Omi said proudly.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "That was some racket we just heard. Something happen?"

Dojo slithered up. "Oh, not much. Ping Pong just took down a Shen Gong Wu that turned into a crazy killer monster for no apparent reason. No biggie."

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

After Ping Pong and Dojo gave a brief description of their experience, the Shoku Warriors all exchanged glances.

"Chase Young appears to have affected the Shen Gong Wu he gave to our enemies with most foul Heylin magic." Omi surmised.

"Yeah, but how did he get to the Preying Monster? It just revealed itself!" Kimiko added. After thinking over for a moment, Raimundo's eyes widened.

"Um, Dojo, you know how Chase can make old Wu re-reveal themselves?"

"Yeah?"

"And you know how he said he swiped a bunch of Wu before by hiding the fact that they revealed themselves?"

"Yeah, where are you-" It was Dojo's eyes' turn to widen. "Oooohhh, I see where this is going."

Clay smacked his head. "That's right, I forgot that Chase Young has a ton o' Wu that we don't even know about!"

"I suppose we will have more mystery Wu to look forward to in the future." Omi surmised.

"Well, I have just secured one of them." Ping Pong reminded them. "And after fighting a titanic metal insect, I am sure we will be able to solve whatever problems Chase Young comes up with for the others."

"We're proud o' ya, lil' buddy." Clay said. "And I'm sure yer right, though I'd still like to fix the li'l ol' problem of our elements bein' all switcheroo'd n' everythin'."

"We'll figure it out." Raimundo assured him. "But until we do, it's great to see that we can still handle anything even without our usual powers!" The monks heartily cheered.

Chase stared down at the image in the Eyeball for a second before his fingers twitched. He then snapped his fingers and disappeared in the orange flash.

" _Is that so?_ "

The monks all turned towards where the voice came from to see Chase flash into the picture. They immediately all took fighting poses.

"I see that you managed to succeed even without your powers. At least, not your usual ones. Of course, given that your battles were against Jack and his cronies, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised."

"I fought Shadow." Clay stated.

"Your point?" Chase returned.

"Chase Young, if you did use the Sun Chi Lantern to switch our elements, I demand that you switch them back now!" Omi declared.

"I suppose you have proven yourselves to be adaptable…still," Chase then struck a pose. "How about one last fight?"

"Bring it down, Chase Young!"

"Bring it on, but it works." Raimundo said.

With that, the monks all charged at Chase.

"Fire!" Omi shouted, sending a wave of flame at Chase. The overlord caught some of the fire in his hand, turned it into a ball, and flung it back at Omi, who ducked.

"Earth!" Kimiko shouted, stomping the ground. A large earth tremor shook everybody. A large crack then formed in the ground that Chase got out of the way of, but Raimundo and Clay barely avoided falling into.

"Oops." Kimiko said again.

"What'd I tell ya? Not so hard!" Clay shouted. The cowboy then noticed Chase coming at him. "Wind!" Clay thrust his arms forward, sending a roaring breeze that knocked over some of the trees. Chase managed to stand his ground, but he was scooted back a little. Ping Pong came bounding up to him at the same time Omi did from the opposite side.

"Water!"

"Fire!"

Chase leapt out of the way as the two elemental streams collided, producing a cloud of searing steam that engulfed both of the round-headed monks. While they coughed and stumbled out, Chase felt the Wood-powered Tangle Web Comb wrap around him. With almost no effort, he broke free and grabbed the broken ends of the teeth. He then swung Raimundo around before launching him towards Kimiko.

The girl panicked and thrust out her hands, making a slab of stone rise up that Rai smacked headfirst into.

"Sorry, Rai!" Kimiko said quickly as she ran around to check on him.

"Wha…izzit my turn ta pick up affer ze el'fents gen?" Rai mumbled. Kimiko then turned towards Chase, gritting her teeth before making the stone slab fly at him. Chase dodged, but another massive gust from Clay sent it flying right back at him, where it hit him before breaking into pieces. Chase winced, but that was it. He then caught what would have been a punch from Clay and threw him into Kimiko. They along with as Raimundo dizzily got up. Chase also noticed that Omi and Ping Pong, though looking a little red, had picked themselves up as well and the five monks once again surrounded him. As the monks started to move in again, Chase held up a hand.

"Stop." The children confusedly complied.

"By lasting this long, _barely_ , you have shown that you can deal with unexpected changes to the playing field, which is a very important trait to have for our battles. Besides, with these Spicer-like levels of inadequacy with your powers, you might actually be bigger threats than you were before." Chase reached into his armor's pocket.

"Take it." He said, throwing the Sun Chi Lantern at Raimundo. Said monk raised his hand and tried to catch it, but was still a bit dazed and missed, making the paper artifact bonk him on the head. Chase shook his head. "Until next time." He said, disappearing in another flash.

Clay took off his hat and scratched his head. "Chase Young has always been as puzzling as a baby goat's pupils, but now I _really_ don't understand 'im."

"You said it," Kimiko concurred, "but at least it's over…I think."

Dojo slithered over to where the Sun Chi Lantern had fallen and picked it up. "Wanna do this now, or go home first?"

The looks of exhaustion and exasperation on the monks' faces were answer enough.

* * *

"Shoku Neptune, Water!"

"Shoku Astro, Wind!"

"Shoku Mars, Fire!"

"Shoku Jupiter, Earth!"

"Wood!"

Elemental attacks were flying all over the training ground, but this time, they were coming from the right hands.

"It feels good to be the Wind guy again!" Raimundo said, folding his arms with pride. The other monks all concurred.

"Though I gotta admit, it was kind of interesting trying out the different powers and all that." Kimiko said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but ya also gotta admit, it feels good to have the elements back where they belong again." Clay said back.

"Oh yeah, totally." Kimiko concurred.

"Finally, I am back to being master of the best element!" Omi proclaimed. He then noticed the deadpan glares from his elder monks. "Er, best for me that is." He quickly added.

"Even I feel good having my old powers back, as weak as they are." Ping Pong sighed. Omi put his hand on Ping Pong's shoulder. "Your powers will grow, Little Gecko. Just give them time." Ping Pong smiled and nodded.

"Glad to see your powers are all settled back in." Dojo said, approaching them. "Now how's about putting them to use for all these chores that still need to be done?" Dojo took out a rolled-up sheet of paper and unfurled it, it going a few feet before stopping. The monks all exchanged glances.

"Actually, I, uh, still think I need a little more practice with my powers." Raimundo said. The others all quickly agreed. "I'm gonna need more training. A _lot_ more. So, yeah, see ya!" Raimundo then zipped off.

"See ya!" The others said in unison, quickly following Raimundo.

"But what about these chores? Kids? KIDS!" Dojo called out. After a second, he shook his head and rolled the paper back up. "At least things are back to normal…"


	19. S2E5: Tigress Woo

**Today is Independence Day; a day where we celebrate freedom, and not being weighed down by the world's greatest attempts to hold us back from reaching our true potential.**

 **...And we honor that huge milestone by weighing _ourselves_ down.**

 **Seriously, everyone, I cannot apologize _enough_ for these nine-month-long hiatuses I keep taking. I've got a ton figured out already and plenty of time, so why can't just sit down and write?! Well, whatever the case, I've got my Xiaolin mojo back, so I promise that this story will never take that long a break again...for a while. Huge thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed, reviewed, and just read my personal interpretation on the (un?)official Xiaolin continuation. That sort of thing is what keeps me going, so thanks for sticking through all of this. I promise you will NOT be disappointed with what I have in store. So without ANY further stalling, please enjoy the next chapter. Expect more soon!**

* * *

 _ZAAAT!_

"Lean right!"

 _ZAP!_

"Now left! We must show them we mean business!"

 _ZAT!_

"*Screech!*"

"DINA! Fall back, fall back!"

 _ZH-WOOOM!_

"That didn't go as planned, but least they are gone…for now."

"Squawk…"

"Are you hurt, Dina? Hmm…it seems to be just a flesh wound, but still, you have never been injured like this before. Whoever they are, they are made of tough stuff…"

BZZT! BZZT!

The girl who was speaking lifted up her visor to get a look at her wrist communicator. She clicked the button that put the call through.

"Agent Tigress, report!" A masculine voice said from behind a secure line.

"They left, sir. But they'll be back. Don't worry, when they do, we'll be ready."

"Excellent work. Just in time for your next mission."

"One more thing, sir. Dina is injured."

"Injured?! That's new. Well, tell her to suck it up, because this new mission will be undoubtedly your most important yet."

"We're on it. Downloading now."

After the girl closed the call, her communicator began uploading the file. A holographic image of a young looking, dark-haired man of Chinese descent clad in green battle armor appeared rotating. Text then appeared underneath.

NAME: CHASE YOUNG

PLANET OF ORIGIN: EARTH

SPECIES: HUMAN/DRAGON MUTANT

AGE: 1500+ EARTH YEARS

AFFLIATION: HEYLIN CULT

LOCATION OF RESIDENCE: LAND OF NOWHERE, CHINA, EARTH

MISSION: [DOWNLOADING…]

Tigress raised an eyebrow at the information and image. "Should be interesting. Wait a minute!" The woman's eyes were drawn to one certain word.

"China…Kimiko…finally…"

* * *

In the new Xiaolin Temple, the sole female occupant groggily woke up. Her room was the most lavish out of all the monks' rooms. She sat up, yawned, and shook off the sleepiness.

"Happy Birthday…to me…" she mumbled. She then checked her phone and was pleasantly surprised to see a message from her father. She opened it up and an anime-like animation of dragons flying and balloons rising played; it ended with the phrase 'Happy Birthday my little Kasai Girl!'

"Oh Papa…" She said with a smile on her face as she got up to get dressed. "I wonder if the boys have done anything…"

"Is it ready?" Raimundo impatiently asked. "She should be out here any minute!"

"Don't rush me!" Clay protested. "Bakin' a cake with this many layers over the span o' one night ain't easy."

"No, but it will be worth it when Kimiko can enjoy her own Thousand-Layer Mountain!" Omi said from next to Rai. For Kimiko's birthday, the boys had baked her a cake. It was chocolate cake with pink icing and almost too many layers to count. Clay was currently (with help from the Wings of Tinabi) setting the final layer on top.

"Wiiiith possibly some left over for us?" Omi quickly added.

Raimundo laughed. "Don't worry about _that._ I'll bet all of us will be workin' on _this_ baby for months! _Well, depending on Clay's appetite_."

"What was that?" Clay turned his head.

"Nothing, nothing." Raimundo quickly said.

"Well, looks like you're almost done!" Dojo added from the sidelines as Clay lowered himself back down. "All that's left is the candles!"

"Indeed." Omi agreed. "Ping Pong, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Most certainly, Brother Omi!" Ping Pong heartily insisted. Holding a box of candles in his hand, he looked down at the Shen Gong Wu he was wearing; one he had "won" in a Showdown. Taking a deep breath, he called out its name. "Vest of Kiniku!" Without warning, two brown airbags sprouted from the sleeves of the red-and-yellow vest. Knocking the candles out of the young monk's hand, the boy could do little as he was suddenly lifted into the air and spun out of control.

"Maybe I should have warned him about that." Dojo murmured while tugging on his beard.

"Ya think, partner?" Clay said while the boys followed the screaming kid with their eyes.

"Uh-oh! Incoming chocolate mountain!" Ping Pong cried as he flew headfirst into the cake with a _splut!_

"Yikes. Hope he doesn't suffocate in there." Raimundo quickly said.

"Umm…I do not think that will be a problem." Omi said as he pointed at the cake that was now starting to tip over.

"Dagnabbit! That's a year's supply o' chocolate! Do you know how much that cost?!" Clay shouted angrily as the boys fruitlessly tried to run and escape the toppling treat.

"Morning guys!" Kimiko said as she walked into the room. "I hope you know what day…it…is…oh boy." Kimiko trailed off as all the inhabitants of the temple were quickly buried in pastry. Kimiko was the first to pop up. "What the-"

Raimundo was next to surface. "Happy birthday, girl!" He greeted.

"Surprise!" Omi added as he was next.

"You didn't think we'd forget, didja?" Clay asked as he swam up. " _'Specially with all those 'subtle lil' hints' you've been droppin' the past few days."_ He whispered sarcastically. Let's just say Kimiko had _definitely_ let them know that her birthday was coming…

"Great…" Dojo said as he (no pun intended) snaked out of the goop. "I'll be picking cake out of my earholes for weeks…ah well; there are worse things to have in your ears."

Finally, Ping Pong popped up. "Pardon me. Happy Birthday, Sister Kimiko." He said.

Kimiko took a bit of the cake on her finger and tasted it. "Mmm…thanks, guys. You're very sweet." She laughed.

Dojo suddenly twitched and spat fire out of his mouth. "Ohh! Um…sorry, Kimiko, but a new Wu just revealed itself. We can skip it if you want…"

"Are you kidding? With luck, Jack Spicer will be there!"

"Today, Spicer butt-kicking duty is all yours!" Raimundo said with a sweep of his arm as if in a bow (there was only so much you could do buried to your waist in cake, after all).

"Why thank you, good sir." Kimiko returned in a sophisticated tone as she played along. All the monks then laughed and pulled themselves out of the ruined cake to get cleaned up and dressed for Wu hunting.

* * *

Later, Dojo and the monks were flying to their destination. Raimundo looked behind him to see Clay, who was licking leftover cake off his arm. The cowboy noticed the ex-clown staring. "What? This cost us a small fortune; I ain't lettin' it go to waste!" Raimundo rolled his eyes and looked forward again.

"So Dojo, what did whatever-magic-force-that-makes-Shen-Gong-Wu-reveal-themselves-completely-randomly churn out for my birthday?" Kimiko asked.

"The Eye of Onyx." Dojo answered. "A tricky little thing that lets you look at pretty much any location in the universe." He was met with responses of incredulousness.

"Oh yeah. But here's the thing: when you put it on, you have to already know what the place looks like. It's like you have to see it in your mind before you can see it…in your mind. Okay, now _I'm_ confused."

"There!" Omi interrupted, pointing. The group had reached a forest of tall trees, and in one of the green crowns rested the Wu. It was consisted of a light-brown headband with a black wave pattern. Attached to the front was a brown eyeball shape with a yellow outline and four small yellow eyelash-like points at the top. Within the eye was a small camera lens-like hole in the center.

"The Eye of Onyx!" Omi continued. Their glee was short-lived as they quickly found themselves surrounded by cone-headed Jack-Bots.

"And it's MINE, Chrome Dome!" Jack shouted, making his entrance on his Heli-Bot. "Jack-Bots, you know the drill!" With that, the Bots closed in.

Kimiko stood up and smirked. "You know, Jack, I was hoping you'd show up."

The evil boy genius tilted his head. "Um, why?"

"Because today's my birthday, and that means…" Kimiko took a second to crack her knuckles, "I get first dibs on kicking your butt!" Jack gulped and sped away with a scream as Kimiko leapt after him. The boys jumped into action as well as Dojo shrunk down. Raimundo came at a couple Bots with his Sword of Lucida, but they fell to pieces before he got close. Clay, Omi, and Ping Pong had similar experiences with the rest of the Bots.

"Think you might wanna reevaluate yer budget, Spicer!" Clay called out to him. "These things are fallin' apart before we even get to 'em…again!"

"*pant, pant* Actually…this time…*pant* it's all part of the plan." Jack called back, still on the run from Kimiko.

With that, the Jack-Bot parts wobbled before lifting themselves up and piecing back together into the Jack-Bots. Their creator stopped for a second to gloat. "Yup, I magnetized 'em! Good luck smashing _these_ bad boys-Eep!" Jack leapt away from Kimiko's searing fireball swing.

The boys returned to fighting. Clay swung his fist toward a Jack-Bot's right arm, but the arm disconnected, making Clay's fist go right through the gap. As the cowboy pulled back, so did the arm. The Jack-Bot then took its turn to punch Clay. Omi leapt up to kick another one, but it fell apart, making Omi hit nothing before it pulled itself back together.

"Snake Grabbing Frog's Knee!" Ping Pong shouted as he gripped a Bot by its pointed bottom. However, the Bot fell apart, leaving just the pointed part in the young monk's hand. Ping Pong threw it a few feet before realizing what had happened. The point then shot back at him. Ping Pong yelped and jumped out of the way as the point joined the other reassembling pieces.

Ping Pong turned to his lookalike. "These new robots are proving to be quite a challenge, Brother Omi!" he declared.

"Indeed, Little Gecko." Omi agreed. He then turned to Ping Pong and smiled. "Perhaps it is time for you to test your new Xiaolin Apprentice attack!"

Ping Pong gulped. "Um…are you sure?"

"Positive. Do not worry, you have already mastered combining your element with Shen Gong Wu, this will be a pinch!"

"I am pretty sure you mean 'cinch.' We are _in_ a pinch. But, understood." Ping Pong said before turning to the direction of two Jack-Bots that were approaching from in-between a couple of trees. He focused. "Redwood Rush, Wood!" The boy exclaimed as he raised his arms. The branches on the trees started wobbling, getting the two Bots' attention. Without warning, a branch from each tree turned and jabbed itself into the sole mechanical eyeball of each Bot. The machines fell to pieces and didn't get back up.

Ping Pong stared in awe of his victory. "I…I did it! I actually controlled Wood!"

Omi patted him on the shoulder. "And it will only get greater from here, my friend." Ping Pong beamed at Omi before bounding into the fray. "Everyone! Aim for their eye sockets! That is their weak point!" He yelled, still giddy over his success.

Raimundo grinned and held out his Sword of Lucida. "Whatever you say…" he slyly said before he quickly speared the Bots. Omi, likewise, held out his Shoku Weapon. "Orb of Torpedo, Ice!" Several shards of ice shot out and punctured the Bots all over, including the eyes.

Clay, on the other hand, was having a bit of a harder time due to his attacks not being quite as precise as his comrades. He swung with his Fist of the Iron Bear, but he just wasn't having any luck. "I always was better at 'big n' broad' rather than 'small n' exact'." He mumbled to himself.

Omi, hearing his friend, ran up to him and leapt at the Bots, smashing their circuitry while they were preoccupied with the other monk. Said other monk smiled at Omi in thanks.

Meanwhile, Jack had activated his Heli-Bot to get away from Kimiko. "Aw, come on, Jack! Don't you wanna give me a birthday present?" Kimiko sneered, her hands aflame.

"Actually," Jack mumbled to himself, "I think I'll get _myself_ something nice instead!" Jack flew up to the tree that had the Eye of Onyx on it and snatched it. He stood atop a branch and waved the Eye down at his enemies, who were all too far below and preoccupied with his magnetized Jack-Bots to take it from him.

Suddenly, a yellow metal arrow-like object pierced the eye of a Jack-Bot behind Omi. "Huh?" He said in confusion. Several more of the weird things flew through the air, knocking all the Bots out of commission. "What the-" Jack stammered. "Hey what gives?" He then looked around. "Alright, what's the big ide-" Before he finished, a hand reached from the branches next to him and swiped the Eye of Onyx out of his grip before sticking another of the odd arrows straight into the Heli-Bot, which of course caused Jack to spiral out of control (naturally screaming all the way) until he landed face-first in a large mud puddle. The monks all gathered around in confusion when the figure responsible dropped in front of them.

Said figure was a Japanese woman in her mid-twenties. She had brown eyes and long orange hair that flowed down her back. She wore a teal jumpsuit with green gloves and boots, and a yellow belt. She held the Eye of Onyx in her hand.

Kimiko, gaping, slowly walked forward. The other girl smiled and threw her the Eye. "Happy Birthday, Kimi." She said in a thicker Japanese accent than Kimiko. Raimundo, who until now had been looking at the other girl starry-eyed, snapped out of it and donned a much less friendly expression. He walked up next to Kimiko. "How do you know that?" Kimiko seemed to snap out of her trance as well and glare at the newcomer.

The girl chuckled. "It would be hard for me not to." After the boys' confused expressions didn't change, her smile dropped. "Don't you know who I am? Kimi-Bear never told you about me?" After the males shook their heads no, Kimiko finally spoke up. "Do you blame me?" she asked in a very venomous tone. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Can't I drop by to wish you happy birthday?"

"That would be a first, you big-"

"Um, Kimiko?" Rai interrupted, "I don't wanna get in the middle of…whatever this is, but we're gonna need some exposition here." He said, gesturing to the others, who nodded in confirmation. Kimiko sighed. "Guys, this is Tomoko Tohomiko…" She sighed again. "My big sister." All the boys stared at the two with her mouths agape.

Tomoko chuckled. "I was right. This _is_ going to be fun." Her chuckle died when Kimiko continued to glare flaming daggers at her.

* * *

Soon, the monks had returned to the temple along with their guest; she was standing at the temple's entrance trying to placate Kimiko, who had barely said a word since her sister's appearance.

"Kimiko, you know that ignoring me like this is a sign of disrespect." The older girl tried to say. "If we were back in Japan, and Papa were here-"

"Well, we're _not_ in Japan, and Papa _isn't_ here." Kimiko with a huff.

"Kimiko…" her sister said exasperatedly.

From afar, the boys were watching them from a fair distance away.

"Kimiko never mentioned that she had a sister." Omi murmered.

"And a pretty good-lookin' one at that." Raimundo added.

"Maybe that is because Tomoko has a mysterious top-top secret job at which she has spent almost all of her time as long as Kimiko can remember, and Kimiko has become bitter towards her as a result." Ping Pong spelled out.

"What makes ya say that?" Clay asked.

"I study people…aaaaand I overheard them fighting in the little girls' warrior room when we returned." Ping Pong, Omi, and Raimundo began snickering, but Clay's expression became stern. "Now, Ping Pong, ya'll should know it ain't right to eavesdrop, 'specially in the ladies' room." The Dragon of Earth said firmly. Ping Pong stopped laughing and hung his head. "My apologies, Brother Clay. You are right."

Clay patted Ping Pong's head. "It's okay, just don't do it again, ya got it?" The youngest looked at him and smiled. "Okay."

"All the same, maybe we should get down there." Raimundo offered.

"Normally I respect family privacy, but ya may have a point there, Rai." Clay agreed as the boys went down there.

"So, Kimiko," Rai called out, interrupting them, "You haven't told us much about Tomoko here…" Clay then sharply nudged him. "Ow! I'm just saying…"

"Care to tell them about yourself, _sis?"_ Kimiko sneered. " _Maybe I'll actually learn something new…"_ she mumbled under her breath. Tomoko shook her head at her and turned towards the guys. "First of all, I understand that 'Tomoko' might be a strange name to you, considering your differing nationalities."

"You get used to it." Raimundo said with a shrug.

"Regardless, if it is easier to remember, you may call me 'Tigress.'"

Omi suddenly looked very interested. "Is it because you have remarkable tiger instincts? Are your fighting skills alike to that of a fearless feline?"

Tomoko chuckled. "I've been told."

" _By_ _who?"_ Kimiko continued to fume.

"Perhaps you could spar with us while you are here?" Omi said politely, completely oblivious to how this seemed to irk Kimiko even more.

"I would like that, but first, I want you all to meet someone." Tomoko put two fingers to her lips and whistled. A small shape fluttered down from the sky and onto the girl's shoulder. It was a small parrot with light-purple feathers. "This is Dinatori, or Dina for short." Tomoko had pronounced the name 'Dee-na' rather than 'Die-na.' "I never go anywhere without her." She continued to say as the bird nuzzled against her cheek.

Clay walked up and inspected the animal. "At the risk o' soundin' cliché, I gotta say that's one pretty bird. Mind if I ask what kind it is?"

"Honestly, I do not know. She hatched from an egg I found some time ago, but I have never been able to discover what species she is, exactly."

Raimundo whistled. "There are some birds in Rio that don't look that sweet. Some."

"Meh, not much into birds myself. Too primitive." Dojo said as he slithered up. "Making our guest feel welcome, I see?"

" _She won't be staying long."_ Kimiko growled, but once again, it went unheard.

"Arigato, Dojo-san. I am very grateful for your generosity and hospitality. I am sure I will enjoy my stay no matter how long it is." The Japanese girl thanked Dojo, only sparing a quick glance at her sister. "And I must say, I have seen many wondrous things in my lifetime, but nothing quite like you."

"Heh, thanks. If you think I look wondrous now, wait until you see the deluxe version!"

"Agreed, Dojo." Omi piped up. "Perhaps you could give Tigress a ride to welcome her to the temple?"

"You got it! Stand back!" Dojo said as he grew to his forty-foot long form. "Hop on!"

"Look at you, Dojo!" Tomoko admired. "Dinatori, what do you say to being a rider for once, hmm?" The bird nodded before her owner hopped on Dojo with Dina perching next to her. With both of them on, Dojo took to the skies, doing loops and zig zags to give the newcomer the full experience. Needless to say, she enjoyed every second, as did the monks below cheering them on.

Except one.

Kimiko skulked while her friends whooped at the spectacle, completely oblivious to her.

"Of course they're cheering…they don't know what she's really like…" Kimiko mumbled. Finally, Dojo touched down and let Tomoko and Dina disembark before shrinking again. "Welp, betcha never rode a giant flying reptile, have ya?" Dojo bragged.

"None without wings."

"Good balance on a dragon _and_ humorous? You really are a Frank of all trades!" Omi said as he and the others walked up.

"You mean 'Jack of all trades.'" Raimundo added as he shook his head.

"So it is true what Kimiko posted in her blogs, about Omi having trouble with colloquiums."

"Yeah, better get used to that." Rai advised.

"That is alright. I think it is cute." Tomoko waved off, causing both Omi and Kimiko to turn red for differing reasons. "Ahem!" The latter exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "I'm just gonna go put the Wu in the vault…I might be a while." Was all she said before she turned on her heel and walked off. Tomoko frowned after her before Omi tugged at her pant leg. "Do not worry about Kimiko, Tigress. She will come back in a circle. Her temper may be most fiery, but so is her heart." In response, Tomoko leaned down and kissed Omi on the forehead, causing him to maddeningly blush again.

"While I am here, I would like to thank you all for taking care of my little sister." Tomoko addressed the others. "Shoot, it's our pleasure!" Clay smiled. "Kimiko's like a sister to all o' us!"

"Kicks butt just like one, too." Raimundo said before being elbowed by the cowboy. "You must be very proud of her!" Ping Pong exclaimed. "Believe me, I am," the girl assured, "I just hope that one day, the feeling would be returned…" Tomoko trailed off while both she and Omi looked back toward the vault, the latter furrowing his brow in determination.

* * *

 **Hold on to those Shen Gong Wu! We'll be right back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

 **Wu this, Wu that! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Meanwhile, Kimiko was walking through to the new vault. It was a large underground tunnel beneath the temple itself. Besides being very easy to get lost in if you don't know the way, the door at the end (installed by Kimiko) required a code to open. Kimiko was making her way through when Omi dropped in, literally.

" _Wah!_ Omi, you scared me! What is it?"

"Kimiko, I understand that you are angry, but these feelings of resentment are most unhealthy!"

"Angry? I am not ANGRY. Do I _look_ angry?"

Seeing how Kimiko was literally steaming when she said that, Omi decided not to answer. "Do you not wish to spend time with the sister you never told us about? She seems to care about you."

"Oh she does, huh?!"

"Yes, she gives you an assist in kicking Jack Spicer's buttocks and retrieving a Shen Gong Wu, does she not?"

"I had it under control! And I have had it with HER!" Kimiko seemed to take a second-long break. "You know why I never told you guys about my sister? Because I pretty much forgot I had one!"

Omi's eyes widened. "How do you forget something like that?"

"Easy! I barely ever saw her! Ever since I was a kid, whenever I wanted to do something with her, she would completely blow me off to do…I don't even know what! She would never tell me! And my _birthdays?_ Don't make me laugh! I still remember my fifth birthday…"

* * *

Five-year-old Kimiko was standing in front of her small birthday cake. She turned to look at her dad. _"Why isn't Tomoko here, Papa?"_ she asked in Japanese.

" _I'm sure she'll be here soon."_ Toshiro answered back. _"Let me call her…again."_ Toshiro picked up his phone and dialed. "Moshi Moshi, Tomoko."

"Moshi, Papa." Tomoko answered back. The two others could hear grunting. _"Sorry, I'm a bit tied up at work. I won't be able to make it for Kimiko's party."_

Toshiro sighed while Kimiko frowned, then brightened up. _"Hey, Tomoko. Can you get me a card? I'm a big girl today, just like you!"_

"… _I will get you a card, sis. I promise. Ngh! I…I have to go. Bye."_ Tomoko ended the call. While Toshiro looked unsure, Kimiko still smiled. _"She'll send me a card, Papa. She promised!"_

" _Yes, she did."_ Toshiro then put on a smile. _"Now how about you open my gift?"_ He said as he brought out a box which Kimko eagerly opened. While the businessman would forever cherish the look on his younger daughter's face when she pulled out the stuffed bear inside the box, he would also always remember the slight feeling of disappointment in his elder.

* * *

"I never got that card, you know. I never got _anything_ from her!" Kimiko continued. "But then I was like, 'that's fine', if she doesn't want to be part of my life, sure, whatever! But now she just pops up outta nowhere and thinks she can just waltz back into my life?! Well she can _FORGET IT!_ "

Kimiko finally seemed to get it all out as she slumped against the wall and started lightly sobbing. After looking at her for a moment, Omi walked over and sat down next to her. "But she is here now. Does that not count for anything?"

Kimiko sniffed. "Oh, why am I wasting my breath? It's not like you can understand, Omi. You don't have any siblings." Kimiko meant to end it there, but instead it encouraged the younger monk. "I could."

Kimiko tilted her head to look at him. "What?"

"I could have siblings and just not know it. And if one day they appeared out of the green and offered to spend time with me, I would not dwell on the lost time; I would focus on the gift."

"Present…"

"Exactly. It would be the greatest present I could ever receive…I have never even had a visitor on my birthday. Not one." Kimiko looked at him for a few seconds before bringing him into a hug. "Thanks, Omi." The two got up and continued on the way to the vault door. After inputting the combination, they entered into the vault proper. As luck would have it, it very closely resembled the vault from their own temple, in the form of a staircase that spiraled down through the mountain, and of course drawers for each specific Shen Gong Wu lining the walls, though the color of the place was different; brown as opposed to blue. After putting the Eye of Onyx away in its slot, Kimiko thought of something as the two made their way back.

"Hey Omi, when _is_ your birthday, anyway? You never told me."

Omi cleared his throat. "It is not of importance. The corresponding day of one's birth is still just a day, after all."

" _Not to me._ But whatever." Kimiko said, shrugging it off. However, neither realized that they weren't completely alone in the tunnel. After they were out of sight, the figure looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Getting down, the stranger input the code as they had seen Omi do and entered the vault. Trekking down the stairs, they grabbed two Shen Gong Wu from their places.

Later, the monks were spending the day as normal (Kimiko didn't seem to be in the mood to do anything festive anymore). Clay approached Tomoko who was feeding Dina. "You sure you don't know what kinda bird that is? I have a few books on birds."

Tomoko chuckled. "Arigato, Clay, but you won't find her in any book. I am not sure if she is one of a kind, per se, but she is the only one I've ever seen." Clay then noticed something. "Whoa nelly, what happened?" He asked as he pointed to a scratch on the bird's right leg.

"We were out one day when she got hurt. It was the first time, too. Dina is a tough little girl."

"I think I can help with that…" Clay began to offer.

"Hey guys. Croissant?" Dojo interrupted as he slithered up to them dragging a basket. "Made 'em myself."

"Wait. Are these like last time?" Clay asked. "When you baked jalapeño pepper in 'em?"

"You know it!" Dojo said as he threw one to Clay. "Embrace the sizzle!" he added as Clay eagerly chowed down. Tomoko just looked at them oddly. As Dojo raised one to his mouth to take another bite, some of the pepper got into his nose. After a bit of wheezing, Dojo sneezed; unfortunately, he happened to turn his head towards Dina, covering the bird in snot. "Oops, sorry." Dojo said as he wiped his snout.

"Believe me. She's been in bigger messes than that." Tomoko said with a laugh as the bird blankly looked herself over. To everyone's surprise, though, as soon as the mucus touched Dina's wound, it glowed and healed. "What in tarnation-?"

"Oh my! Dina, shake your leg!" Tomoko said. The avian did so and found she could move and fly with ease.

"Magic healing snot? That can only mean one thing!" Dojo said as the other monks started gathering around.

"We've been buyin' medical supplies for nothin'?" Clay asked.

"No!" Dojo pulled out the scroll and opened it. "The Sword of Phantom has just revealed itself!"

"Sword of what?" Tomoko asked.

"Phantom. It basically shows you things that happened in the past."

Kimiko's sibling glanced at her before looking back at Dojo. "Does it show _exactly_ what happened?"

"Yeeup. It's 100% eligible in court. The Sword never lies! Well, unless you had the Reversing Mirror, I guess, but we don't have that right now."

"…Mind if I come with?" Tomoko asked.

"Yes." Kimiko said as everyone else said "No!" Groaning, Kimiko got on board Dojo with the others and took off. When Clay offered to share the croissants and rolls, Tomoko discreetly gestured no from behind him.

Dojo landed in what could best be described as a petrified forest. The trees were dead all around them and hard as stone. A dusty ditch that could have once been a lake was nearby. All in all, the place was all ashy and just not pleasant. The Sword of Phantom was embedded in one of the trees. The blade was a dull bronze color, but the handle was a tad more complex. The hilt was rich brown and sloped to one side. Yellow lines crisscrossed down the lighter brown grip, ending in a yellow orb.

"I am surprised Jack Spicer is not here." Ping Pong observed.

"Oh who needs that girly boy?" A familiar Australian accent rang out as a dark shape moved betwixt the rock-hard trees. "When you've got me?" Shadow finished as she stepped out next to the tree with the Sword in it. The monks started to move forward, but Tigress held an arm. "Please; I am your guest. Allow me." Before anyone could say anything, Tigress ran at Shadow. The villainess swept her hair at her, but she flipped over her and landed on her tiptoes. When Shadow ran at her again, her opponent slid under her legs and kicked her in the back. Shadow went flying with a cry before she crashed into one of the trees and slumped down, dazed. Tigress then plucked the Sword of Phantom from the tree and faced the monks while spinning it. "Well, how'd I do?"

Raimundo whistled. "One-hit KO!"

" _Lucky hit…"_ Kimiko grumbled.

* * *

Back at the temple, Kimiko was hitting a practice dummy like crazy. Her sister then approached her. "Kimiko, how about we take the day off and chill? Just you and I. There is something I wish to discuss with you."

"…Sure. Why not?" Kimiko slowly said. After retrieving the Blue Feather Eagle, Kimiko and Tomoko went to an outcropping far away from the temple. After they dismounted, Kimiko shrunk the Eagle down.

"Alright, we're here. What's this about?"

"Kimiko…I realize I have not been nearly as involved in your life as I could have been-"

"M-hmm."

"And I have kept many secrets from you."

"Yeah."

"I have not been a very good sister to you."

"Nnope."

"…I feel bad already, you know!"

"Yeeup."

Tomoko sighed. "The point is, Kimiko, I want to be better to you, and even though this is against the rules, and I could get in a _lot_ of trouble for this…Well, I'll let Dina show you."

"Dina?" Kimiko echoed as the bird fluttered onto Tomoko's shoulder again. She looked toward her owner hesitantly. "Go ahead, you can trust her." With that, Dina flew up and started glowing. She began fiercely elongating and changing shape. When the glow dimmed, in the small bird's place was a large purple pterosaur-like creature.

Kimiko gasped. "Shoku Mars!" As her hands lit on fire, she got in front of Tomoko. "Don't worry; believe it or not, I have experience fighting dinosaurs!" Tomoko laughed and put her hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "I believe you, sis. And believe me when I say that Dinatori is perfectly friendly. Harmless, no, but friendly." Dina landed and cawed like an eagle.

Kimiko looked between the two of them. "How did-what-"

"It was on one of my first missions, actually. My team investigated a craft that had recently crashed. Inside we found a purple egg and these weird symbols. As soon as I picked it up, she hatched in my hands. Ever since, we have been partners."

"Missions, crashed craft?! Are you telling me she's an, an a-a-"

"Alien? Yes. You want to know what my job is, what I have been doing all these years?" Tigress paused to do a little twirl. "I am a government spy. Classification: Extraterrestrial Encounters."

* * *

 **Don't forfeit the Showdown! Xiaolin Chronicles will be right back on Disney XD.**

 **Gong Yi Tan Pai! Now back to Xiaolin Chronicles on Disney XD.**

* * *

Kimiko slowly paced back and forth. "So you're telling me that you work for the American _government_? And you fight…aliens?"

"When they are hostile, yes." Tomoko said, standing next to the transformed Dinatori. "But our motto is 'Negotiation Before Confrontation.' We work things out peacefully with them if we can. Most of the time it is just a mistake, like they turned at the wrong galaxy."

Kimiko sat down on a rock and put her hands over her face. "Ugh, this is too weird for me; and I've been turned into a _plant!_ "

Tomoko chuckled. "I know. It packs quite a punch at first to know there is so much more out there, but if you want, I could show you." She then brought out the Sword of Phantom.

"Why do you still have that?"

"I convinced Raimundo to let me hold onto it for a while. My first Shen Gong Wu, as it were." Tomoko then leapt and flipped onto Dina's back. "Don't worry, Kimi-Bear, she won't bite." After a second, Kimiko climbed onto the creatures back behind her sister as Dina took off with a caw.

In seconds, the trio was high in the sky. "This feels so different than on Dojo." Kimiko commented. "I was thinking the same thing when riding him." The other girl returned.

"So you really go on space missions, huh?"

"See for yourself. Sword of Phantom!" Tomoko waved the Wu around. Suddenly it emitted humongous clouds of puffy yellow smoke. At the spy's instruction, Dina dived down into one of them. When they exited out the other side of the smoke, Kimiko's eyes widened when what looked like a crashed spaceship appeared on the ground. However, closer inspection revealed the UFO to be ethereal and ghostly; it wasn't real. The girls then noticed an also ghostly group of men and women make their way to the craft. Kimiko instantly recognized one of them.

"That's you!"

"On my first real mission, yes." Dina cawed fondly. "Yes, you remember this." Tomoko said as she stroked the back of her friend's neck. Down below, the soldiers in the same uniforms as Tigress pried the ship's doors open and entered. Just like that, the scene around them faded to the inside of the ship as the soldiers were looking around. They watched Tomoko's past self as she stumbled into a room full of computer screens with weird symbols on them. Her attention was diverted from those, however, when she took notice of the stand-mounted, dome-shaped incubator in the center of the room. As soon as she placed her hand on the dome, it opened, releasing some steam and showing a violet egg. Tigress carefully picked it up in her hands; a couple seconds later, it shook and cracked, revealing a smaller version of Dina's giant form. The reptile stared up at the startled human before hopping onto her shoulder. While nervous at first, Tigress calmed down when the newborn rubbed against her cheek, an act she returned.

"We still don't know much about her." The real Tigress explained as the memory disappeared around them. "All we were able to decipher from those codes were the words 'Phoenicia Minor', which we are pretty sure is where she is from, and 'Phoenix Warrior'. Her, obviously."

"You think there are more like her?" Kimiko asked as they took off through the sky.

"Oh yes. My career has led me to meet many wondrous beings! Sword of Phantom!" Tigress created another smoky image of her shaking hands with an alien. It had green skin, large black eyes, a wide pointed head, and a white lab coat.

"This is the time I officially welcomed a team of visiting researchers that came here to make observations about our planet. Last I heard, they were headed to Texas, I think."

"Sword of Phantom!" The next image showed Tigress atop Dina as they hovered under a massive craft. Despite its size, the agent was holding a jar that was bigger than she was. Flying around within the jar were four freakish green spotted creatures that resembled crosses between penguins and bats.

"That's when I was assigned to capture animals that had escaped from an alien zoo." A hatch on the bottom of the craft opened and a gargantuan mottled green hand reached down, took the jar with the flying creatures, and brought it into the ship. A second afterwards, it flew away into space.

Tigress waved the Shen Gong Wu again. "This one was actually just before I arrived at the temple." She explained as the misty picture formed. Her and Dina were chasing a silver tanker-length spaceship. Said ship shot laser beams and multiple flaming jagged blades at the duo, which just dodged until one of the blades scratched Dina's leg. The reptile pulled back as the ship generated a wormhole and was gone.

"That one got away, but they will not be so lucky next time." The agent said earnestly.

"Wow…" Kimiko breathed.

"Hold on tight, Kimi-Bear. I want to show you one more." The older sibling used the Wu one last time as Dina flew into the yellow cloud. Kimiko looked down to see her sister standing on the edge of a volcano. She was fighting what seemed to be an army of black blobby monsters with three red eyes, jagged mouths, small stubby feet, and tentacles for arms. Tigress kicked a couple before one of them wrapped its limbs around her neck. Just then, her communicator started beeping. She threw her assailant into its comrades before answering.

"Moshi Moshi, Tomoko."

"Moshi, Papa." She answered. She grunted as she noticed more of the monsters approaching her. _"Sorry, I'm a bit tied up at work. I won't be able to make it for Kimiko's party."_ She continued in Japanese.

Up above, Kimiko gasped as she heard her own younger voice over the device. _"Hey Tomoko. Can you get me a card? I'm a big girl today, just like you!"_

" _I…I will get you a card, sis."_ Tomoko shed a single tear. _"I promise. Happy Birthday."_ Tigress suddenly grunted as she felt one of her foes wrap its tentacle around her leg from the rim of the volcano. _"I…I have to go. Bye."_ She ended the call as she turned back to the army climbing the volcano.

"That…that was my fifth birthday…" Kimiko whispered as the scene faded away. Tomoko nodded. "I had asked for the day off, but then I was called in to deal with a colony of Magma Dwellers that had popped up under our noses. They make their homes near the centers of planets that have molten cores, like ours, but they have a refined taste for gray matter. I had to push them back or they would have decimated the nearby village, and probably more."

Dinatori descended and the two females got off. "So that's what you do. All this time…"

"And you know it to be true. As Dojo himself said, this remarkable talisman does not deceive!" Tomoko said, marveling over the Sword of Phantom.

"But how…I mean, when did you-" Tomoko cut Kimiko off by putting her hands on her shoulders. "Kimiko, one day I will tell you the full story. For now, I have put enough at risk telling you as much as I have."

"Does Dad know?" Kimiko asked. Tomoko slowly shook her head. "No, and you must not tell him or anyone…including your friends."

"Really?"

"I could get in enough trouble as is." Tomoko sighed. "But back to the subject at hand. I've missed you all these years, and while being a government spy does not excuse my absence, I was hoping we could…start again? You and I?"

Kimiko took in her sister's hopeful look. She thought back to her conversation with Omi back in the tunnel. She allowed a small smirk to come to her face. "Sure. Why not?" The other female smiled as she took Kimiko's hand and led her back onto Dina's back. The three soared off once again.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time they returned. The two sisters sat atop a gazebo in the temple courtyard. A short ways off in a nearby tree, Dinatori (back in her bird disguise) was getting into a little squabble with Ping Pong's parrot. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but…I had a great time today."

"Me too, sis." Tomoko agreed.

"I mean I thought _my_ life was crazy…okay, it is, but now you come along meeting aliens for a living!"

"I remember when the reality of it first hit me." Tomoko sighed as she gazed up at the slowly appearing stars. "One day, I'd like to actually visit another planet."

"I doubt even the Golden Tiger Claws would take you that far." Kimiko stated.

"Yes, but a girl can dream." She stood up. "If you don't mind, I have to take care of something. I will be back in a short while."

"Okay. See ya…sis."

Tomoko looked back at Kimiko and smiled before she flipped off the gazebo.

* * *

In Chase Young's lair, the warlord and his apprentice were being forced to deal with a common household nuisance: Jack Spicer.

"Chase, _come on_! Gimme another chance!"

"I instructed you to do one thing, Spicer: retrieve the Eye of Onyx. Did you do that?"

"No, but I was blindsided! That chick came completely out of nowhere!"

"That _chick_ has already proven to be a better ally than you ever were."

"Has anyone ever told you that you know exactly what to say to a girl?" Chase and Jack turned toward the new voice to see Tigress stroll into the citadel with a pink visor over her eyes.

"Oh, look who showed up! Little Miss Hotshot herself! Come to gloat?" Jack bitterly spat with his arms crossed. Chase grabbed Jack's shoulder before shoving him off the raised platform they were on, where he was quickly chased away by the cats. Chase was silent as Tigress climbed the steps to face him.

"Were you successful?" Chase asked.

In response, Tigress reached into her pocket, pulled out the Rio Reverso, and tossed it to Chase. "Told you I'm on your side." The orange-haired female said. Chase looked at the Rio Reverso before nodding. "It seems so."

Shadow, standing a few feet away, scoffed. "Do we really need her?"

"What, you didn't appreciate our little performance?" The other girl smugly asked.

"Did it have to be over after _one hit?_ That was humiliating!"

"It needed to be done, Shadow. Don't complain." Chase warned.

"So since I did this for you…"

"Yes, yes, I will tell you what you wish to know. Follow me." Chase led Tigress further into his home, she only sparing a quick glance at Shadow, who bared her teeth at her like a wild animal before dissolving and leaving. And speaking of wild animals, Jack soon came back with his clothes in tatters and covered in scratches. He looked to where Chase and Tigress had gone before whistling. His crow-shaped Spy-Bot fluttered down and perched on his arm. "Trying to get into Chase's good books before me, huh? Well, we'll see how that works out for ya!" Jack cackled for a second before it turned into hacking and coughing from his injuries.

* * *

At the temple, Kimiko was now sitting at the base of the gazebo updating her status (leaving out any confidential bits, of course). As she was doing so, the others approached her. "Kimiko," Omi started. "Do you have the Rio Reverso or the Rings of Amethyst?"

"No, why?"

"Well," Dojo took over, "One good side to getting all our Wu stolen is that I can finally get my Dewey Dojo System all nice and in order. Of course now it's messed up because two of our Wu have gone AWOL!"

"Well, I don't have 'em. Actually, what do the Rings of Amethyst do again? I forget."

Omi pulled out the scroll. The image showed the rings separating and going onto the fingers of two people. They then put their hands to their heads as squiggly lines emanated between them.

"The Rings create a telepathic link between their two bearers." The water monk read. "Thoughts and conversations can be exchanged solely from the mind."

"Wish I had one of 'em right now so we can find out who has the other one." Raimundo pointed out.

"If none of us possess these Wu, then that leaves only Tigress." Ping Pong said. Kimiko bit her lip.

"Hold it now, let's not be so quick to accuse." Clay halted. "It ain't right to point fingers, 'specially at a lady."

"Perhaps she just borrowed them." Ping Pong continued. "After all, she did seem to be fascinated by them."

"But how would she have gotten them from the vault?" Clay countered. "She woulda needed to ask one of us!"

"I'm sure the Wu will turn up, guys." Kimiko interrupted. "Let's look in the morning."

"I agree. I am definitely requiring the thirty blinks." Omi said with a yawn.

"That's forty winks…or maybe sixty in my case." Raimundo added as the males all turned and left for their rooms. Kimiko looked unsure when she heard a voice.

" _Pssst!_ Hothead!" Jack Spicer waved from a bush. It wasn't technically bedtime yet, so Barkey hadn't yet risen the barrier to keep out intruders while they slept.

"I'm always happy to kick your butt, Jack, but I'm not in the mood. Go away."

"Hey, I'm holding a metaphorical white flag here." The evil boy genius said as he slowly made his way towards her. "I just thought you might want to know something about that sister of yours."

"I _highly_ doubt you know more about her than I do." Kimiko said while crossing her arms.

"What if I told you that she isn't what she seems?" Jack said, causing the girl to falter. "What if I told you…that she's evil!" Kimiko stared at him before snickering. "Total jerk? Yes. Evil? Don't think so." She said to him.

"Didn't I overhear that you guys lost a couple of Wu?" Jack asked. "Yeah, wonder what _that's_ about?" Kimiko glared.

"Hey don't look at me! I didn't turn your Wu over to Chase Young. Tomoko did." Jack grinned.

"Yeah, okay, even if she did, _why_ are you telling me?"

"Because it should be _meeee!_ " Jack whined. "Not some newbie who takes cheap shots! Here, I can prove it!" He whistled and a small group of upgraded mushroom-headed Jack-Bots flew in carrying a large mounted television screen with an original Jack-Bot head attached to the top.

"Oh right. One of your Video-Bots." Kimiko flatly said. "What was the point in even making these things into Jack-Bots? If you could even _call_ them that."

"It looks cool!" Jack spat. "Anyway, my Spy-Bot got the whole thing from the beginning." The crow-shaped robot landed in Jack's hand. He then pulled an extension cord from its head and plugged it into the Video-Bot. The screen fizzled to static for a moment before playing. It showed Chase levitating Jack in the air via green magic from his Staff of Ku. "Fetch me the Eye of Onyx, Spicer, or Shadow will be scooping pieces of you out of my army's litterbox!" Chase turned the Staff into its spear-like form and swiped it through the air, sending Jack flying with a wail.

"Ack! Not that, not that!" Jack frantically said he frantically pressed buttons on the side of the Video-Bot while trying to ignore Kimiko's snickers. "That was later. Tomoko was before the Eye of Onyx…Aha!" Jack seemed to get it to where he wanted as the pressed play again.

Chase and Shadow were sitting at the table eating dinner. Chase took a few bites before eyeing his apprentice. Candle blazing next to her, she was happily digging into a severed bear paw that had been prepared and stuffed with other edibles.

"Knock Knock." A familiar voice echoed through the room. The two supervillains looked to each other before walking out of the dining room and out to the courtyard where Tigress (with her visor on) was standing and waiting. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." She said as she looked up at Chase. "And you are?" He inquired.

"Tohomiko Tomoko. Pleasure to meet you, Young-san." As she spoke, the cats circled around the platform their masters were on and bared their teeth towards the intruder.

"Tohomiko…?" Chase repeated.

"Name rings a bell? It should. I hear you are quite familiar with my younger sister, Tohomiko Kimiko."

Outward, Chase didn't change, but he suddenly pointed at her. "Destroy her." The cats closed in on Tigress. The orange-haired girl pressed a button on her wrist device and sprayed a green mist, which she spread by spinning in place. "Nice kitties. Go play!" Tigress taunted as the beats fell unconscious.

"…Catnip mist?" Chase guessed.

"What can I say? I always come prepared. And is that anyway to treat a lady? I could be wanting to gain an alliance. After all, just because my sibling's on the side of good, doesn't mean I am."

"I'll destroy her." Shadow hissed as she started to move forward. However, Chase moved his arm to bar her way. "Let her speak."

"What?!" Shadow whipped her head to her creator. "You can't be buying tha-"

"I said: Let, her, _speak_." Chase repeated in a voice that left no room for argument. Shadow stepped back with a huff.

"That's better." Tigress said as she made her way over. "I come to you because I am interested in a certain subject. One that you are sure to be quite knowledgeable about."

"And that would be?"

"The Mask of the Green Monkey." Now Chase raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know about that?"

"I'm curious. Is that not reason enough?"

"…Why not just ask your sister and the monks?"

"I'm sure you know more than they do. I am a smart girl, Young-san. If I am to get involved in your little conflict, I would prefer you on my side."

"…"

"I am offering my skills to you. Spying is my specialty. You could give me information, and I could give _you_ anything from my sister's little team."

"Very well." Chase finally said. "If you really wish to earn my trust, then a little assignment is in order. A while ago, under…unique circumstances, I was forced to join forces with my enemies to resolve an issue. I assume you know about the Shen Gong Wu, and during that incident I had to turn over one called the Rio Reverso." Chase paused to swipe his hand through the air, conjuring a scroll-like image of the Rio Reverso. A second later, he made it vanish. "If you can return it to me, I shall tell you about the Mask."

Tomoko smirked. "It's a deal."

"And then…" Jack continued to play the footage of Tomoko giving the Rio Reverso to Chase. When all was done, the Video-Bot's screen went to static and turned off. "See, toldja!" Jack triumphantly said. "Your sister's part of Chase's inner circle… _I'm so jealous."_ he grumbled. When he didn't get a response, he looked back at her. "Kimiko?" She had been silent the whole time and now had her head down. "Jack…" She slowly said before igniting her hands, "I'll give you ten seconds."

Quickly getting the message, Jack hastily activated the Heli-Bot and fled as he heard the telltale sounds of the Bots he left behind getting smashed and pulverized.

* * *

Tomoko walked through the temple hallway while brushing dust off her shoulder. "Sorry I took so long, Kimiko. Where were we?" She didn't receive an answer. "Kimi-Bear?"

"Oh, hi, sis." Kimiko said as she walked up to her. "How was your trip?" She asked venomously.

"It was alright." Tomoko said uncertainly.

"Oh, really? _Chase tell you everything you wanted?_ "

Tomoko stepped back. "How...?"

"Word of advice: never try to steal Chase's attention from a spineless little tattletale like Jack Spicer."

Tomoko sighed. "Kimiko, I can explain-" She was cut off when a huge fireball barely missed her and exploded against the far wall.

"Was this whole thing a setup? Were we just part of your _mission_?!"

"Kimiko, y-yes I was sent here on a mission, but I really did want to make amends with you!"

"Is that why you gave the Rio Reverso to Chase!" Kimiko yelled as she threw another fireball. Tomoko darted around a corner.

"I didn't-"

" _ENOUGH ALREADY!"_ Kimiko put her hands together and hurled a massive missile of flame. Tomoko ducked, but it crumbled the wall behind her, exposing the open night air. "Typical. Just when I think I could finally have a good time with my sister, she does something like _this_!" Kimiko ranted as she slowly walked toward her.

"Sister, listen to me!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kimiko charged up another fireball. _"Shoku Mars!"_ Kimiko threw another blast. Tomoko flinched, but it never connected. A small purple shape flew in front of her and became a big purple shape. The full-sized Dina screeched in pain as she took the brunt of Kimiko's Fiery Fury.

"Dina!" Tomoko hurried to check her front, which was red and steaming. She looked back at Kimiko with absolute fear. Kimiko relished it.

"Kim?" Raimundo's voice echoed through the hall. "Sister Kimiko?" Ping Pong's voice followed. The three could hear footsteps coming towards them. Tomoko hurriedly jumped on Dina's back. "Everything will be clear tomorrow. I promise!" She said as Dina flew off, still grunting in pain. The boy monks and Dojo entered the scene just in time to see their guest fly through a hole in the wall while riding a large violet dinosaur.

"You can report back to Chase and whoever the heck else you answer to and say that your dumb mission failed!" Kimiko hollered after them. She stood there panting for a moment before slowly facing her teammates.

"Dontcha hate it when ya miss the exciting stuff?" Dojo finally quipped from atop Clay's hat as he and the others just stood there.

* * *

Kimiko told them everything. Tomoko being a spy, Dina being an alien, her mission to earn Chase's trust, all of it. Needless to say, their heads spun for a bit.

"So aliens really do exist? I have read a few theories, but nothing conclusive." Ping Pong said.

"That's one of the craziest things I've ever heard, and that there's sayin' somethin'!" Clay added.

Omi looked at Kimiko sympathetically. "Perhaps all is not as it seems, Kimiko."

"Thanks, Omi, but I'm alright, really." Kimiko smiled at him, though he could see it didn't go all the way through. "I knew it was too good to be true." Omi looked troubled, but decided to leave it.

"Well, um…" Raimundo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, then looked back at the wall. "We can…fix that tomorrow. Let's all go back to sleep." The others agreed. As Kimiko turned to go back to her room, Raimundo put his hand on her shoulder, making her look back to see the look on his face. She gave a small smile and nodded before continuing. Raimundo watched her go for a moment, and then walked away to his own room.

The next morning, Kimiko groggily woke up and stretched her arms. She heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She sleepily said. With that, the boys all came in holding white envelopes. "Surprise!" Omi said.

"Huh?" Kimiko said while rubbing her eye.

"Happy belated birthday!" They all sang together.

"Omi told us that you have never received a card on your birthday." Ping Pong explained. "So we all got you one!" The boys threw the envelopes onto her bed. Kimiko smiled. "Thanks, guys, but I've had enough birthday stuff for a while.

"Hey, was that there last night?" Dojo asked as he pointed to her bedside table. "'Cause if one of you got up early, there's plenty of time to do your chores, too!" Kimiko frowned as she looked at the pink box that definitely _hadn't_ been there when she went to bed. She took it and looked at the small tag attached; it simply read "To Kimiko" in pink handwriting she didn't recognize. However, she could hazard a guess.

"Hey, uh, could you guys give me a minute here?"

Putting the pieces together themselves, the males all nodded and filed out of the room. Raimundo spared one last look at the girl before closing the door behind him. As tempted as she was to incinerate the thing then and there, curiosity ultimately got the better of her and she opened the box and dumped out its contents, which to her shock included not only the Rio Reverso, but one of the Rings of Amethyst and even the Eye of Onyx. Finally, a small white card flitted down into her lap. After holding it in her hand for a minute, Kimiko opened it.

 _Took me long enough, huh? I told you I could explain, and I will. I am sorry I had to take yet another of your talisman from your vault last night, but for the best experience, place the Ring inside the Eye of Onyx. I hope you will give me at least that much._

After debating, Kimiko decided to follow the [not so] mysterious card's instructions. Kimiko picked up the bejeweled ring and inserted it into the hole in the center of the Eye of Onyx's signature feature, so that it looked like it had a lavender pupil. Kimiko then placed it around her head and activated the combined power. Suddenly, Kimiko was whisked away from her room and to Dina's backside, where she was facing her sister.

"Ah, there you are, sis." The other Japanese girl said happily.

"Tomoko? What's happening?" the monk asked bewilderedly. "Well, the Eye of Onyx lets you see any place in your mind, and the Ring of Amethyst lets you communicate with others in your mind." Tomoko held up her finger to show the twin Ring. "I cannot see you, but I know you are here and can at least see me." Kimiko folded her arms. "Okay, jerk. You win. What do you want to say?"

"You see, Kimiko, I was sent to the Xiaolin temple on a mission, yes, but not to ally with Chase Young, as you might have assumed. You see, the chief in charge of my missions is a descendant of a Xiaolin monk, the one who crafted the Eye of Onyx. He does not retain much information, but he remembers learning that the Eye of Onyx could cause great disaster if its power is combined with another ancient talisman called the Mask of the Green Monkey. With all of the evil power rising in this area, my mission was to learn all I could about both of these items. And most importantly, to keep them out of the hands of those who would misuse them. I helped you obtain the Eye from Jack Spicer because he was instructed to give it to Chase. As for the Mask, I knew that Chase would know the most about it, so to get him to inform me, I had to gain his trust."

"But while I did steal the real Rio Reverso from your vault, it was not the one I gave to Chase. Beforehand, I managed to contact your other dragon friend; Charles, I believe. He crafted me a phony talisman to give to Chase. As a personal bonus, I hid a tracking device inside it so that when the time is right, you can locate everything that you lost to Chase." Tomoko paused in her tale. "You may have told your friends my secret by now. That is fine, I brought that upon myself. I will return to my superiors with the information I did manage to obtain from Chase, but I am leaving the rest of my mission to you. Be on the lookout for the Mask of the Green Monkey for me. I hope you understand why I did what I did, and with luck, our next meeting will be better. In the meantime, you can use the Ring and Eye to talk to and see me anytime. Goodbye for now, Kimiko. Happy Birthday." Tigress said with a small tear as the scene disappeared from Kimiko's mind.

The fire girl removed the Wu from her head, reeling from the new information. Said reeling was interrupted by an alert on her phone. A quick scroll told Kimiko that Tomoko had just downloaded a program for locating the previously mentioned tracking device into her phone. Kimiko put down the phone, and then proceeded to get out of bed and embrace her day. She still wasn't sure how she felt about her older sister, but maybe, just maybe, it wasn't as hopeless as she thought.

* * *

In Chase's lair, the warlord walked past Shadow, holding the Rio Reverso. Shadow huffed before speaking up. "I still can't believe you hired that orange-haired floozy! So she stole _one_ Wu for us! Have you forgotten how much Wu _I_ helped steal?! And she's Kimiko's _sister!_ I just don't understand why we have to trust-"

Chase looked at her, then subsequently pointed the object in his hands at her. "Rio Reverso." He spoke calmly. Shadow flinched and reared back. After a second of nothing happening, she dared to move. "I don't want to question this…but if I'm remembering that thingamajig right, shouldn't I be a rib right now?"

"Yes, you should. But you're not; because this isn't the real Shen Gong Wu. It's a fake. I imagine she believed to double-cross us."

"…Why are you so calm?"

"What, pray tell, do you take me for? While the craftsmanship is admirable, it doesn't take a genius to tell the difference between an actual Shen Gong Wu and a duplicate."

Shadow folded her arms. "If you knew, then why did you tell her all that stuff about monkeys, or whatever?" Chase chuckled. "The Mask? Everything I told her she could have learned from the scrolls in the Xiaolin Temple's library, and more."

Shadow laughed. "So her coming to us-"

"Was a complete waste of time." Her maker finished. "Though it was pleasant to include someone else unwittingly in my work besides Spicer. Speaking of which…" Chase tossed the phony Wu to his apprentice. "Put that in our vault with the real toys. I might give it to Spicer as future incentive, or just the next time he bothers me."

After Chase exited, Shadow melted into you-know-what and slithered through the citadel until she came to a room in the lower floors of the construct, an area that was more encased in rock than actual walls. Built into the stone was a circular steel vault door with a dial to input the combination. Shadow did so and opened the door, showing the room covered wall to wall with stolen Shen Gong Wu. She placed the false Reverso amongst them and closed the door. Both she and Chase were completely unaware that under the blue crystal at the tip of the trinket, a small blinking red light lay hidden.


End file.
